I LIBRARY OF Congress. "^^ 



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Col. Hknky O. Kknt. 

Colonel I7tli New Haiiipshirc Infantry. 



HISTORY 



SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT, 

NEW HAMPSHIRE VOLUNTEER INEANTRY. 
1 862- 1 863. 

BY LIEUT. CHARLES N. KENT. 



"Our country is a whole 

Of which we all are parts, nor should a citizen 
Regard his interests as distinct fiom hers ; 
No hopes or fears should touch his patriot soul 
But what affect her honoi or her shame." 



PUBLISHED BY ORDliR OF THE 

Seventeexth New H.\mpshire \'f;terax Association. 

Concord, N. H. 

1S98. 



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PRINTED BY 

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Concord, X. H. 




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Scventcentb H^ew Ibanipebire 1Infantrv\ 

WHO GAVE TllKlR LIVES FOR THE DEFENCE OF THEIK 
COUNTRY, AND TO PERIMCTIATIC WHOSE >n:M- 
ORV THE FOLLOWING I'A(;ES HAVE I'.EEN 
WRITTEN. THIS VOLC.ME IS HUM- 
BLY DEDICATED 

BY THE AUTHOR. 



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Hon. William E. Chandler. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The history of the Seventeenth Regiment of New Hampshire 
Volunteers in the War of 1862, waged to maintain the union of 
the United States, has been duly written by competent hands 
and is now presented to the public in this volume. 

It is true that circumstances prevented the regiment, as a 
formal military body under Colonel Henry O. Kent, its organizer 
and commander, from leaving the state and entering the great 
conflict of arms. 

But the actual service and proven valor of the volunteers for 
the Seventeenth Regiment performed in other organizations on 
many of the famous battlefields of the war, and the ardent aspir- 
ations, untiring labors, and patriotic patience of Colonel Kent 
could not be justly left without commemoration, by a faithful 
special narration, to take its place in the line of those histories 
of New Hampshire's military organizations which are now ap- 
proaching completion. The briefest possible statement concern- 
ing the Seventeenth Regiment may lead those who glance at this 
introduction to look at the whole narrative. 

When President Lincoln on August 4, 1862, called for 300,- 
000 additional volunteers. New Hampshire's quota required 
three regiments, and it was determined, as was then thought, 
wisely, to raise one regiment in each of the three congressional 
districts. Field officers were accordingly appointed, Henry O. 
Kent of Lancaster being selected to aid in raising the Seven- 
teenth within the Third District and to be its commander, and 
he was commissioned as colonel of the regiment on October 23, 
1862. 

Naturally enough, as soon appeared, volunteering proceeded 
unequally in the three districts and when it came to be under- 
stood by the state authorities that haste was desired by the 
president, it was decided to disregard the original plan and to 



6 INTRODUCTION. 

complete the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Regiments by transferring 
to them men and companies from the Third District, and these 
two regiments left the state, the Fifteenth, November 13, and 
the Sixteenth, November 23, 1862, carrNing with them the larger 
portion of the volunteers from the Third District, notably six 
companies from IJath, Canaan, Fitzwilliam, Lebanon, Plymouth, 
and Swanzey, and their vicinities. 

This radical change of plan was a grievous disappointment 
to Colonel Kent and to the people of the Third District, but it 
was by no means intended to be a permanent blow and as it 
finally proved to be the destruction of the Seventeenth Regi- 
ment as an organization. Every possible effort was therefore 
made to complete it by securing volunteers from all parts of the 
state. The regiment with its depleted numbers went into camp 
at Concord on November 19, 1862, and remained there until 
April 16, 1863, while untiring exertions were made to fill its 
ranks. But events, military and political, now well known and 
not necessary to be here recited, had happened which had made 
the raising of more troops by volunteering exceedingly diflicult 
and at last impossible ; although one company and part of 
another, making 125 men, were added to the regiment from the 
two other districts towards the success of whose regiments the 
Third District had contributed so much, bringing the total 
number of volunteers whose history connects itself with the 
Seventeenth up to 916 — more than the number required to 
authorize the mustering by the United States of a colonel. 
Therefore, at last the earnest struggle to actually fill up the 
the regiment, secure the mustering of its colonel by the Ihiited 
States, and to send it to the front was reluctantly abandoned ; 
and on the date last named Colonel Kent for the last time 
paraded his command, transferred its volunteers to the Second 
New Hampshire Regiment then at Concord to receive them, 
and the Seventeenth Regiment no longer existed as a formal 
organization. 

The facts thus concisely stated are gra]:)hically narrated in a 
remarkable paper prepared by direction of Governor Nathaniel 
S. Berry and signed by him on the i6th day of February, 1892, 
when he was ninety-five years of age, which was the foundation 



INTRODUCTION. 7 

of the report made on April 7th, 1892, from the mihtary com- 
mittee by Senator Redtield Proctor, which caused the passage 
of the special act of congress of July 21, 1892, providing for 
the formal recognition of Colonel Kent as the colonel of the 
regiment. 

In view of these facts so authenticated, it will be universally 
agreed by the people of New Hampshire that his excellency, 
Governor Ramsdell, acted justly and wisely in approving under 
the statute of the state giving to him due authority, the publica- 
tion as a distinct volume of the history of the Seventeenth 
Regiment. The interesting struggle not to allow the regiment 
to be given up as one of New Hampshire's volunteer organiza- 
tions, carried on when the cause of the Union was growing 
precarious, when northern hearts were failing from fear, and 
when the dreaded forcible draft was approaching, could not 
properly be omitted as a formal history in the archives of the 
state ; — even if its earnest volunteers had been discharged and 
had never gone to the front. 

"They also serve who only stand and wait." In the just nar- 
ratives of the achievements of armies and navies those who 
strove to reach the forefront of battle but through circumstances 
beyond their control did not actually receive the baptism of fire 
are as much entitled to have their zeal and their merits formally 
recorded as are those who were the most conspicuous heroes 
under the storm of shot and shell. The same qualities which 
prevail in those who do not happen to come under fire make up 
the mettle and inspire the irresistible rush of the warriors whose 
actual combats secure fame to the army and navy, or give vic- 
tory to the nation for which all have offered to suffer and die if 
need thus be. 

But the record of the Seventeenth Regiment is not one of 
good will without brave deeds. The men who enlisted for that 
organization went to the war under other commands and their 
good service reflects credit upon the original organization and 
the final organizations with which they were connected. In this 
volume told by faithful eye witnesses may be found the stories 
which show how they conducted themselves as members of the 
Fifteenth and Sixteenth Regiments and in the ranks of the 



8 INTKOD UC TION. 

famous Second Regiment of New Hampshire Volunteers. No 
higher encomium could be pronounced upon new recruits than 
that contained in the General Order, No. 14, of September 22, 
1863, issued by Col. E. L. Bailey of the Second Regiment to the 
" Soldiers of the Seventeen New Hampshire Volunteers " on 
their discharge from service which in the face of the whole 
army declared to them that in their " occupancy of the most ex- 
posed positions during that terrible contest " [Gettysburg] they 
" stood firmly shoulder to shoulder with the familiars of fifteen 
battles fighting as valiantly." 

Thus it appears that like most of New Hampshire's 33,000 
soldiers whose labors, sufferings, perils or deaths, through the 
greatest war of modern times, helped to preserve the national 
union and to free a race from chattel slavery, the men of 
the Seventeenth New Hampshire Regiment proved themselves 
worthy of their birthright as American citizens and earned for 
themselves the tender remembrance and eternal gratitude of 
their fellow countrymen and of their descendants to the latest 
generation. 



My personal relations to Col. Henry (). Kent, never broken 
or strained by any vicissitudes of politics, have led me to write 
this introduction to the history of the regiment of which he was 
the principal promoter, and of which he was the actual com- 
mander, appointed by Governor Berry, recognized by the na- 
tional government, and in clue time, to resolve a doubt, declared 
to have been its colonel in the military service of the United 
States, by a special act of congress which it was impossible to 
refuse to pass after an examination of the statement of Governor 
Berry, before mentioned. 

In the legislature of 1862 Mr. Kent and I became exceed- 
ingly intimate. I witnessed his patriotism, his industry and his 
youthful zeal, as chairman of the house committee on military 
affairs, for the prosecution of the war for the Union and for 
every measure intended to promote the efficiency of the New 
Hampshire troops. He had from boyhood tended towards a 
niilitarv life, doubtless from his earlv connection with IIk- noted 



INTRODUCTION. 9 

Norwich Military University, and when upon the adjourn- 
ment of the legislature, he decided to enter the army I antici- 
l^ated for him success and renown ; and as his constant friend I 
fully joined in feeling the disappointment which came to him 
from the abandonment in the spring of 1863 of the regimental 
organization in which all his hopes and aspirations had cen- 
tered ; after which abandonment, however, I concluded and so 
advised him that under all the circumstances he ought not 
further to pursue his determination to enter the military service. 
On the whole Colonel Kent's retrospect of life may be with- 
out serious regrets. His military aspirations and efforts were 
creditable. His civil career has been upright and honorable. 
He has been self-denying in every relation of life. It came to 
my knowledge that President Cleveland and Secretary Lamont 
desired to have him accept the post of assistant secretary of 
war but he made the sacrifice of declining on account of the im- 
mediate pressure of imperative family duties which he was de- 
termined to fulfill in the completest measure. Of such self- 
denial as this he has always been capable, and those who know 
his whole life and we, his nearest friends, feel that not the least 
of the reasons why he should be held in high regard by the peo- 
ple of New Hampshire is his unselfish and self-sacrificing de- 
votion to the duties which he undertook in connection with the 
Seventeenth Regiment, whose unpretentious history is now sub- 
mitted to the public judgment. 



It remains to speak briefiy of the responsible author of this 
history who has given so much time and effort to its prepara- 
tion and publication. Charlks Nelson Kent was a student 
of Harvard Law school, admitted to the bar in Boston, and 
later in 1868 in New York city, where he went to lead a busy 
life as a member of the advertising and publishing firm of 
George P. Rowell & Company, until at the end of about thirty 
3^ears, in December, 1897, he retired from active business. 
When the war of 1861 broke out he was a cadet at Norwich 
University, but gave up his studies in order to become first lieu- 
tenant of Company C of the Seventeenth Regiment. After its 



lO INTRODUCTION. 

consolidation with the Second Regiment he returned to his 
imiversity and graduated in 1864, also becoming an instructor 
therein and the commander of the Cadet Corps when it was 
ordered to the Canadian border in connection with the St. 
Albans raid. No more appropriate historian of the Seven- 
teenth Regiment could have been selected that Lieut. Charles 
N. Kent, and he has made his service not a work of duty alone 
but a labor also of mingled pleasure and affection. 

WILLIAM E. CHANDLER. 

AUGU.ST ISt, 1898. 



At a meetuig of the Veteran Association of the Seventeenth New 
Hampshire Infantry, May ijth, i8g8, the fo/toiving resolution 
was adopted : 

Resolved, That Lieutenant Charles N. Kent of Company C be, 
and hereby is, appointed editor to compile and publish the Regi- 
mental History, under the supervision of the Executive Committee, 
and that said committee has full poiver to make all contracts for 
the ivork, publication and sale of said history, save to bind the 
association to tlu payment of any indebtedness iticiirred. 
A true copy. 

Lieutenant James S. Brackett, 

Secretary lyth N. H. Vet. Ass'n. 
Lancaster, N. H, May ijth, i8g8. 



SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT 
VETERAN ASSOCIATION. 

August 25TH, 1898. 



President. 
Jared I. Williams, Lancaster. 

Vice-rresidcn ts . 
Calvin S. Brown, Washington, D. C. 
Harvey H. Lucas, Canaan, Vt. 
George S. Blood, Lowell. Mass. 

Treasurer. 
Charles N. Kent, Merrick, N. Y. • 

Secretary. 
James S. Brackett, Lancaster. 

Editor Regimental History. 
Charles N. Kent. 

Executive and Piildication Committee. 
Henry O. Kent, Lancaster. 
William L. Rowell. 
Charles E. King. 
Frank .Smith. 
James I). Folsom, St. Johnsbury, ^'t. 

Member of Executive Co?nmittee, iV. H. Veteran Association. 
Charles N. Kent, Merrick. N. Y. 



PREFACE. 



" History," said Gallatin, at a meeting of the Chamber of Com- 
merce in New York cit}-, when troops were pressing to the 
front in response to President Lincoln's first call for volunteers : 
" History will make a faithful record of our proceedings, and 
that record will be consulted by future generations for encour- 
agement, for instruction, and for warning throughout all time." 
The gallant and accomplished Theodore Winthrop, who was 
killed at Great Bethel, with his last breath expressed the hope 
that some of his countrymen " would keep careful record of 
passing events, as we are making history hand over hand." 
By the wise and judicious enactment of New Hampshire's 
legislature, and the approval of His Excellency, the Governor, it 
has been made possible to record and preserve in permanent 
form the history of each regiment, organized within the state, 
which did its part for the preservation of the nation, in the great 
War of the Rebellion. 

The state archives are replete with information concerning 
those eventful years ; and the more recent War Register com- 
piled by Adjutant-General Augustus I). Ayling, is a marvellous 
record of painstaking care, intelligent arrangement, and accu- 
rate statistics. In the State library may be found a large num- 
ber of volumes devoted to regimental history and further rec- 
ords of the war. Of this library it would be difficult to express 
a too great appreciation. The arrangement of books is admira- 
ble, the selection comprehensive upon subjects included, and 
the reading-room an object lesson of comfort and convenience — 
due largely to the intelligent care and supervision of the present 
librarian, Maj. Arthur H. Chase, and his able assistants. 

From these sources, and from the written and personal recol- 
lections of its officers and men has been derived the material 
used in the compilation of this history. 



14 



PREFACE. 



The Editor acknowledges with many thanks his obHgations to 
the writers whose valuable contributions appear in the pages 
which follow, and records his further indebtedness for informa- 
tion and courtesy to Hon. A. S. Batchellor, state historian, and 
to Maj. William J. Carlton, Forty-eighth New York Volunteers, 
and librarian of the Loyal Legion, New York city. 

In preparing this work for publication the following books 
have been freely consulted : General Ayling's N. H. Register; 
Captain Phisterer's Statistical Record ; N. H. Regimental His- 
tories ; Sanborn's History of N. H.; Waite's N. H. in the Re- 
bellion ; Rebellion Record ; Official Record, War of the Rebel- 
lion ; Successful Men of New Hampshire ; History of Coos 
County; Adjutant General's Reports ; Fisk's Beginnings of New 
England ; Buckingham's Reminiscences ; Bancroft's Histor)' of 
U. S. and McMaster's History of the People. 

As this is perhaps the last, certainly nearly the last, regimental 
history of the great Civil W'arto be issued in New Hampshire, it 
is thought that the tables of statistics and other matter appear- 
ing in the appendix, will be regarded by the reader with more 
than ordinary interest. 

c. N. K. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



INTRODUCTION by Hon. William E. Chandler 
Preface ........ 

Chapter 

I. New Hampshire's Record 

II. The MiHtia the Safeguard of the State 

III. New Hampshire to the Front 

IV. Governor Ichabod Goodwin 
V. Governor Berry and the Seventeenth Infantry 

\T. George A. Ramsdell, Governor 1897-189S 

\'II. Field and Staft'of the Seventeenth . 

VIII. Field and Staff, continued 

IX. Enlistments . 

X. The Situation Reviewed . 

XI. Camp Ethan Colby 

XII. General Orders 

XIII. The Winter of ''62-'63 on Concord Plains 

XIV. The Winter of '62-'63 on Concord Plains, continued 
XV. Furlough ed ...... 

XVI. Return to Camp Ethan Colby . 

XVII. Consolidated with the Second New Hampshire 

XVIII. Adjutant-General's Official Report . 

XIX. Governor Berry's Story of the Regiment . 

XX. Recognition by Congress 

XXI. Seventeentli Men in the Second Regiment, and at 
Gettysburg 

XXII. Comrade Whipple's Diary 

XXIII. Mustered Out 

XXIV. In Memoriam 
XXV. The Colonel's Conclusions 

XXVI. The Adjutant's Report . 

XXVTI. The Quartermaster's Returns 

XXV^III. The Surgeon's Diagnosis 



Page 

5 

13 

17 

23 
27 

32 
34 
38 
41 
46 

50 
54 
58 
62 
66 
70 

11 
81 
86 
89 
93 
97 

103 
109 

115 
119 
121 
129 
132 
136 



i6 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



XXIX. Reminiscences by Rev. Geo. S. Barnes, Chaplain . 139 

XXX. Company A i44 

XXXI. Company B 154 

XXXII. Company C 156 

XXXIII. Seventeenth Men in the Second Regiment 159 

XXXIV. Tiiird District Men in the Fifteenth Regiment 163 
XXXV. Third District Men in the Sixteenth Regiment 168 

XXXVI. Grand Army : Seventeenth Men as Comrades . 176 

XXXVII. The Music and Songs of the War . . . .184 

XXXVI U. Regimental Histories . . . . . -213 

XXXIX. Elder John G. Hook 261 

Appendix. .......... 265 



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HISTORY OF THE SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 



CHAPTER I. 

New Hampshire's Record. 

Why turn we to our mountain homes, 

With more than filial feeling ? 
'Tis here that Freedom's altars burn 

And Freedom's sons are kneeling. 

Farmer's Museum, IValpole. (Colonial.) 

From earliest colonial daws, New Hampshire has e\-er 
maintained an enviable position in the front rank of ci\'ili/,a- 
tion, patriotism, true manhood, and educational progress. 
"God sifted a whole nation," said Stoiiohton, " that He 
might send choice grain o\'er into this wilderness." 

"The militia, the town, the school, and the church are the 
corner-stones of the temple of libert}'," writes Sanborn, and 
here from the beginning, they were all to be found, acti\el\- 
organized in a form nowhere else so complete, nowhere else 
so effective for the purposes the\- were instituted to main- 
tain. 

New Hampshire was the first royal government in New 
England, and its people, so long as justice was meted out 
to them, w'ere faithful subjects to their sovereign Lord and 
King; but immediately upon the establishment of this 
government, and as a safeguard against futiu'e tyrann)^ 
or oppression, the assembl}' proceeded to assert its rights in 
its first code of laws to the effect that, " No act, imposition, 
law, or ordinance shall be valid, unless made by the assem- 
bly and approved b}- the people." " Thus, at the earliest 
2 



1 8 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

moment," Bancroft adds, " she expressed the great and Hv- 
ing principle of self-government." And when, shorth* after 
this, the people affirmed their right in public convocation 
to choose their own representatives, without let or 
hindrance from either crown or royal governor, there 
arose, perhaps, the first prelude to the American Revolu- 
tion. The people were determined, the governor was 
equalU' so, and told them this claim on their part was 
a privilege only, which the crown might allow them, 
but which he for his part did not belie\'e in, and ^\•hich he 
certainl}' should not grant. " But," writes the historian 
Fiske, " the resistance of the people to this piece of tyranny 
was so determined, that the Lords of Trade thought it best 
to \-ield !" And so the governor gave wa}-, and the princi- 
ple of a free ballot-box and free representation was thus 
earU' established. Other acts of oppression and denial of 
rights so wrought upon the minds of the people, and their 
resistance to unjust ro\\il decrees was so determined, the 
last of the royal governors came to the wise conclusion, 
that it would possibl}' be conducive to his longevity, to 
transfer his residence to the other side of the Atlantic, and 
that in as quiet a manner as possible. The transfer was 
accordingly made and so another long stride towards inde- 
pendence was registered to the credit of the sturdy sons of 
the Granite State. 

While in close touch with all the colonies; ever ready to 
yield an\' but vital principles for the benefit of the whole, 
when occasion required. New Hampshire declined being 
forced into a ratification of the constitution until ample time 
had been granted her citizens for its careful consideration. 
In her usual cautious manner when dealing with matters of 
the greatest inqjort, her assembl\- de\-oted fi\e full da}-s to 
the deliberate consideration of this historic document; but, 
after that, there was no dela}'. The Constitution was then 
ratified at once and b}^ a handsome majorit}'. " Make 



NE W HA MPS III RE'S RE CORD. 1 9 

haste slowly" was a pronounced axiom of our Puritan 
ancestors, and upon it as a corner-stone has been built the 
success and reputation of innumerable descendants, in ever}' 
avocation, and in every part of both hemispheres. 

New Hampshire has ever been a state of practical 
people, and practical ideas. The idea of dut}' was to do in 
the most thorough manner the thing that was next to 
be done. The stor}- of the capture of Louisburg was 
the wonder of two continents; the stand at Bunker 
Hill was the admiration of the world. Our pioneers were 
prepared for their work by the conditions under which they 
were reared, and they almost, if not wholh', dominated 
their associates. 

They anticipated the coming re\-olution, and it was long- 
before the Battle of Lexington even, that word was brought 
to the people of Portsmouth by Paul Revere, months before 
the lanterns glowed from Christ Church tower, of the 
British order that thereafter no military stores should 
be sent to the colonies. Thus forewarned, they at once 
proceeded to elude the order and prepare for active work. 

It was John Sullivan of Durham, a gentleman of ^\•ide 
culture and ability, afterwards a member of the first Conti- 
nental Congress, commander of the New Hampshire forces, 
and then major general, who, with a gallant band of 
followers, seized the stronghold of Fort William and Mary, 
imprisoned the garrison and carried awa}' one hundred bar- 
rels of powder, all the small arms, a quantity of shot, and 
sixteen pieces of artiller}'. This was the first result of the 
British order prohibiting the delivery of military stores, and 
shows the alertness of the Puritan Yankee. The powder 
thus obtained, went far to make possible the results after- 
wards secured in the Battle of l^unker Hill. 

Sullivan fought in the Battles of Long Island, Trenton, 
Princeton, Monmouth, Brand)'\vine, and Germantown. In 
1779, he commanded an expedition to break the power of 



20 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

the Six Nations and their Tory allies, and performed with 
" drastic thoroughness" this delicate and important work. 
Sanborn says of him: " He is one of the great men of our 
state, whose worth}- deeds posterity should not willingly 
let die." 

Ten minutes after receiving news of the Battle of Lexing- 
ton, John Stark shut down his sawmill, and two hours 
thereafter, according to Fiske, had mustered thirteen full 
companies, and started for the front leaving two hundred 
additional men behind as the nucleus for a second organiza- 
tion. Six days later, two thousand New Hampshire men 
confronted General Gage. The left wing of the ami}- sta- 
tioned near Medford was composed of two New Hampshire 
regiments, commanded b}- two Londonderr\' colonels — 
Stark and Reed. 

When the advance of Burgoyne's Hessians towards Ben- 
nington was made in August, 1777, the whole country was 
alarmingly short of sup})lies, and destitute of organized 
troops in sufificient number to offer effective resistance. It 
was then that John Langdon of Portsmouth, at the time 
speaker of the House, cut the Gordian knot b}- sa}'ing: 

" Gentlemen, I have three thousand dollars in hard money, thirty 
hogsheads of Tobago rum, worth as much ; I can pledge my plate for 
as much more ; these are at the service of the state. With this money 
we can raise and provision troops. Our friend, John Stark, will lead 
them. If we check Burgoyne, the state can repay me: if we do not, 
the money will be of no use to me." 

Advancing the mone\', he enlisted his own company and 
followed on to Bennington and Saratoga. 

"And the boon we gained through the noble lender 
Was the Bennington day and Burgoyne's surrender.''' 

Stark was at home again, but at once responded to the 
call of Langdon and his countrj-men. Ill usage in official 



NE W HA MPSHIRE'S RECORD. 2 1 

quarters could never dampen his courage or his patriotism. 
An acknowledged leader, among the ablest of all the ofifi- 
cers who served in the Revolution, he at once forgot his 
wrongs and gathered his troops for the destruction of 
Baum and his army. 

Volunteers came in so rapidly to join his standard that 
the Indians whom Baum brought with him began to desert 
in large numbers, sa}'ing, " The \\oods were full of Yan- 
kees!" Stark's famous traditional speech before the Battle 
of Bennington is thus paraphrased by the poet, Fitz-Greene 
Halleck: 

When on that field, liis band the Hessians fou,y;ht, 

Briefly he spoke before the fight began : 
" Soldiers! those German gentlemen were bought 

For four pounds eight and seven pence per man 
By England's King : A bargain, it is thought. 

Are we worth more? Let's prove it while w^e can ; 
For we must beat them, boys, ere set of sun, 

Or my wife sleeps a widow.'" It was done. 

Yes, beat them he did, and the destruction of Burgoyne's 
army followed as a consequence. Ever\' valley and hillside 
sent its men to reinforce Stark's arm}', until at Saratoga, 
October 17, 1777, the British power was broken by this 
independent action of New Hampshire, for it was a state 
campaign and its general reported onl)- to the legislattire. 

What wonder, that with these and other kindred repre- 
sentative men in both the forum, the mart, and the camp, 
New Hampshire became a sturdy, self-reliant common- 
wealth, dowered with stich an heritage. 

And as she always has been, so doubtless will she ever 
remain. Men are raised up to meet the hoiu% and when 
the cr\' goes forth, " We want men," either by state or 
nation, New Hampshire's quota will always be forthcoming. 
Her record during the Civil War compares honorably with 
that of the Revolutionary period ; and in the struggle for 



22 SEVEA^TEENTN A'EIV HAMrSHIRE REGIMENT. 

the freedom of Cuba she a^aiii placed herself where she 
will ever be found — in the ver\' front ranks of the nation. 

" Our fathers" hero deeds are known and loved. 
As the recurring years their measure fill. 
Their names are graven on Fame's sounding shield. 
From Yorktown's triumph back to Bunker Hill." 



CHAPTER II. 

The Militia the Safe(;uard of the State. 

" What constitutes a state ? 

Not high raised battlements, or labored mound, 
Thick wall, or moated gate ; 

Not cities fair, with spires and turrets crowned ; 
No; men, high-minded men." 

It is essential to the stabilit}' of even- form and denomi- 
nation of government, that a well-organized military body 
be provided, both to maintain order within and to repel 
aggression from without. In a republic like our own, this 
body is composed chiefly of the militia of the states, which 
constitutes its armies in time of war and upholds its integrity 
in time of peace. Recognizing this principle, our fore- 
fathers early decreed that "A well organized militia is the 
sure and natural defence of the state," and guaranteed to 
the people the right to bear arms. The wisdom of this 
decree has ever been verified when occasion required and 
the guarantee thus given has never been abused. 

When Napoleon, defeated and a captive, was restricted 
to the scant limits of Elba, the veterans of the peninsular 
campaigns — his conquerors — landed on our shores, antici- 
pating from the nature and habits of our people an easy 
victory. But, met by men warlike as themselves, they 
retired after a brief contest, bearing with them as their onl\- 
trophies the plunder of some few villages, and recollections 
of Queenstown and Lundy's Lane, of Forts Stephenson and 
Erie, of Baltimore and New Orleans. 

The first gun fired on Sumter awoke the loyal states as 
if by magic. The president's memorable call for troops 



24 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

was followed b\' an uprising of the people that would at 
once have filled the arm\' it was then supposed would be 
required, ten times over. " Have we a countr\' to save, 
and shall we save it? " he asked, and not only thousands, 
but hundreds of thousands, responded quickly to his sum- 
mons. " Surely," says Townsend, in his " Honors of the 
Empire State," " surely, if the \-oice of the people can 
ever be accounted as the inspiration of God, that which 
came to us in the united tones of the great mass of states- 
men and jurists, historians and scholars, philosoi)hers and 
poets, warriors and spiritual guides, must be so accepted. 
By the side of the Union stood Bancroft and Motley, 
Sparks and Palfre}-, who had made the histor}- of its free 
institutions their peculiar study. The harps of Bryant 
and Longfellow, Whittier, Holmes, and Lowell, were strung 
to the music of the Union, to inspire the hearts of the 
people, and nerve their arms." But more significant than 
all else, more indicative of that love for the flag, which 
inspires every American citizen, most conclusive of the 
wisdom of our forefathers, when the}' decreed the militia 
to be the sure and natural defence of the state, was that 
uprising of the sturdy }'eomanry of the nation in answer to 
the calls of the president for troops — more troops, until an 
army of two millions and a half, from first to last, and with 
apparent ease, was sent to the front. The total enrolled 
militia, North and South, at the breaking out of the war 
was more than three and one-half millions, while the total 
quotas furnished on both sides were over three millions. 
That war involved the loss of over five hundred thousand 
lives, the wounding and premature death of probabl}' as 
many more, and cost the go\'ernment over eight billion 
dollars. ]^ut it settled for all time the position of the citi- 
zen militia and the impregnable position of the arm\', so 
organized, as the natural and effective safeguard of the 
state. It was not as major-generals, or e\en as colonels. 



THE MILITIA THE SAFEGUARD OF THE STATE. 25 

captains, or lieutenants, that these men volunteered. It 
was better still, they did it as men — men who loved their 
country, and were willinL;-, in the ranks, to show their 
loyalty, and, if necessary, give their lives for its mainte- 
nance. All honor to the privates who did the fighting, 
as well as to the ofificers who led them into battle. Their 
patriotism was as great, perhaps in man\' cases greater: 
their lives were as dear to them and their services, under 
more trying circumstances, were as cheerfully given. 
"The Privates' Song," as printed in a Southern news- 
paper, tells the pathetic stor\- : 

It's nothin' more or less than the old, old story — 

The private does the fightin' an' the general gets the glory ! 

But away 

To the fray 
For we 're in it to obe}' — 
The private does the fightin' an" the general draws the pav ! 

It \s nothin' more or less than the old, old storv — 

The private makes the harvest an' the general reaps the glory ! 

But I say, 

Boys, away ! 
For we 're in it to obey, 
And we "11 climb through twenty battles to the epaulettes some day ! 

Nothin' more or less than the old. old storv — 

The cap'ns an' the colonels an' the generals gets the glory ! 

But we '11 fight 

All in sight ; 
For we 're in it for the right ; 
God keep the generals hearty till the bugles blow " Good-night ! " 

It is a significant fact, that search histor\' as we ma\-, the 
standing army is never to be found fighting for liberty's 
sake. The Swiss at Mogarten and Sempach ; the Scots, 
under Bruce and Wallace ; the English under Cromwell and 
Hampden; the French in the Revolution; the Hungarians 
and Italians under Kossuth and Garibaldi, the great army 



26 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

which swept Napoleon from Germany in 1813; our own 
honored forefathers in the War of the Rcvokition, and the 
Cubans in their struggle for life and libcrt}', these, all these, 
were nothing but militia. Who dares say the militia has 
not accomplished great results? Let standing armies show 
their record and a righteous judge award the palm. 

While we, as a republic, rely upon our militia, and while 
a large standing army would be the sure forerunner of 
despotism, an adequate regular force should, nevertheless, 
be alwa}-s ready for emergencies. And so with us, the 
two s}'stems of militia and regular troops are judiciously 
combined. The regulars, comparatively few in number, 
are yet sufificient for the duties imposed upon them in times 
of peace ; and when danger comes, or the war cloud settles 
over the countr}% they form a nucleus around which an 
arm}', drawn from the militia of the states, quickly gath- 
ers, being rendered doubl}- effective by the combination. 
The militia is always ready. As quickly as the arm}' of 
Cadmus sprang from the teeth of the slaughtered dragon, 
so quickly our countrymen, with sharp ba}'onets and reso- 
lute hearts, rush to the conflict when the call is sounded, 
eager to serve that country, whose laws the}' make as well 
as enforce. 

They have proved beyond dispute, the strength of the 
foundation upon which our institutions rest, and the fitness 
and will of the American people as a reliable and suc- 
cessful soldier}'. In their ready patriotism we can always 
trust, firm in the belief that the genius of our institutions 
has indicated the true line of militar}' polic}', and that we 
may safely rely, under God, for the protection of the best and 
wisest government ever devised by man, upon the lo}'al 
devotion of the American Militia. 



CHAPTER III. 
New Hampshire to the Front. 

'Tis ours, undaunted, to defend 

The dear-bought rich inheritance. 
And spite of every hostile hand. 

We'll fight, bleed, die in its defence ; 
Pursue our fathers' jjath to fame, 

And emulate their glorious name. 

SewaH. 

The War of the Rebelhon began w hen Major Anderson 
refused to surrender Fort Sumter, April iith, 1861. The 
fort was taken by the Confederates, after a bloodless con- 
flict on the 13th of April, and on the 15th of April, Presi- 
dent Lincoln issued his proclamation calling upon the states 
to fiu-nish their quotas for an arnu' of sevent}--h\e thousand 
men. 

Within t\vent\'-four hours after the president's call was 
issued in Washington, the proclamation of Governor Icha- 
bod Goodwin had been formulated, and sent forward to 
every part of the state, calling the loyal sons of New Hamp- 
shire to immediate action, and for a speed}' enlistment of 
the necessary regimental organizations. 

As indicative of the possible difificulties in the wa\- of a 
prompt response to the governor's call, and as an example 
of how little either possible or actual difficulties can for a 
moment restrain or impede the prompt exhibition of the 
lo}-al and patriotic spirit which has ever been a strong 
characteristic of our people, it is well that the exact condi- 
tion of the state at that time, from a militar\' standpoint, 
should be thoroughly understood. 

At the breaking out of the war, there was not a single 



28 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

organized regiment within the state. The old " general 
trainings" or " annual musters," with all their tinsel, color, 
glitter, and noise, which we, who must now consent to be 
called the " old bo\-s," still remember with mingled feelings 
of awe and pleasure, were held for the last time in the early 
fifties. The then militar\' organizations of the state, divided 
into fort}'-two regiments, and comprising all able-bodied 
male citizens between the ages of eighteen and forty-five, 
ceased to be operative. The regiments were disbanded or 
went to pieces in the natural wa}-. An occasional leather 
hat with its brass mountings, including the American eagle, 
or some other part of a uniform in the home of a former 
officer; the regulation powder-house upon a hill, the gun- 
house in the village, and the arsenal stored with flint-lock 
muskets, alone remained to be the wonder of the }'oung, 
and the souvenirs of departed greatness. In place of the 
old militia, there existed what one writer has termed " the 
paper system," which was made up of three major generals 
and six brigadier generals, with their respective staffs. We 
may be sure these were all in commission, but their forces 
were entirely unorganized and existed onh' in that condi- 
tion. There were, however, two " militar\- and social com- 
mands" — the Governor's Horse Guards, a battalion of 
mounted horsemen intended chiefly for escort duty, and the 
still older organization known as the Amoskeag Veterans. 
It was at the annual dinner which followed the parade of one 
of these bodies — the reason is obvious for not being more 
explicit as to which one — that a prominent son of New 

Hampshire gave the celebrated toast: "The : 

Invincible in peace; invisible in \\ar." 

There was, besides, a compaii)' known as the L\-nde- 
borough yVrtiller}', and all tt)ld there ma\- ha\-e been a 
possible half dozen other \-olunteer companies scattered 
throughout the state. This force was in\ited rather than 
ordered to hold a three days' "muster" in Nashua during 



NEIV HAMPSHIRE TO THE FRONT. 



29 



the autumn of i860, but it was not much of a success, and 
no further attempt in this hne was e\-er made. And so it 
was, that when the governor issued his call for troops we 
were wholly unprepared for immediate action. There was no 
organized force that could be sent to the front, there was 
no nucleus upon which to build up \'olunteer regiments. 

Adjutant-General Abbott, says a writer most familiar 
with the events of that period, and whose record we are 
permitted to freeh' use, found himself without arms or 
equipments and confronted b}' an almost appalling emer- 
gency. He was zealous, and entitled to commendation for 
his labors in fitting out the earlier regiments which went to 
the front exceptionalK' well pro\-ided. 

General Abbott resigned in the summer of 1861, and 
upon application made by him to the war department 
direct, was authorized to recruit in New Hampshire a full 
regiment of volunteers. It was made a distinct under- 
standing, however, at his request, that the Government 
might revoke the commission of any officer who was 
found for any reason to be incompetent or unfit for the 
highest line of field service ; and it was also a condition 
precedent that the regiment should be mustered and read}' 
to march not later than thirty days from the 9th of 
September, 1861. The regiment, however, was not 
ordered to the front until Januar\- 14, 1862. 

General Abbott wai\-ed his right to command as colonel 
upon condition that the position should be filled by a West 
Point graduate of acknowledged abilitx', and untler this 
agreement a colonel's commission was issued to Haldiman 
S. Putnam, a New Hampshire boy from Cornish in Sulli- 
van count}', and Abbott was made lieutenant-colonel. The 
regiment became the Seventh New Hampshire. Colonel 
Putnam was killed at Fort Wagner July 18, 1863, and 
Abbott was promoted to command. He served with 
the regiment and made a part of its ever brilliant record 



30 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

until the summer of '64, when he was promoted to a bri- 
gade, and afterwards brevetted for gallant service at Fort 
Fisher, North Carolina. After the close of the war, he 
represented that commonwealth in the United States Senate. 

But notwithstanding we had no military organization 
sav'e that of " major and brigadier generals with their staffs ;" 
notwithstanding the love for home and the peaceful a\'oca- 
tions of a contented people, the governor's proclamation 
kindled an enthusiasm and engendered a patriotic spirit as 
loft}' and intense as that called forth b\' the famous ride of 
Paul Revere which roused the people who fought so 
bravely at Bunker Hill. It occupied General Stark for ten 
minutes only to make all necessary arrangements for his 
first Revolutionar}' campaign ; it required but t\\o hours to 
call in his thirteen full companies and start them onward 
towards Charlcstown. The same spirit which animated 
Stark, Sulli\'an, and Langdon was again equally manifest 
in the spring of sixty-one, nor did it ev^er again slumber so 
long as men were wanted to uphold our flag and preser\-e 
in its entirety the national government. 

In answer to the governor's call for troops, recruiting 
ofifices were at once opened in all parts of the state; and 
volunteers came fonvard so fast that within two weeks, 
more than the number required for the full quota of the 
state had either been enlisted or had offered their services 
for enrollment in the very first regiments to be thereafter 
organized, and to fill any vacancies in the regiments 
then going to the front. 

Regimental organization was at once commenced and 
pushed forward with the greatest celerit}'. The First In- 
fantr\-, under Col. Mason W. Tappan, was drilled antl 
etiuipi)ed in Concord, and started for the front on the 
morning of Saturday, June 1st, the earliest moment possi- 
ble after perfecting its eflficienc)' and suppl}Mng necessary 
arms and equipments. No one in Concord at the time 



A'EIF HAMPSHIRE TO THE FRONT. 3 1 

needs to be reminded of the ovation the regiment recei\-ed 
on its march to the depot. 

Meantime the drill and organization of the Second Infan- 
try, under able and experienced officers, was going on at 
Portsmouth. Its men were all anxious to be at the front 
when word came from the war department that no more 
three months men could be accepted from New Hamp- 
shire, the full number required having alread}' been mus- 
tered in ! But under the second call from the president for 
three years men, issued Ma}' 3d, the governor was in- 
structed to enroll one regiment of 1,046 ofificers and men. 
The regiment was at once reorganized under the call for 
three years, and soon had in camp its full complement of 
men. Under the gallant colonel, Oilman Marston, it left 
the state June 20th, and was ever the pride and honor of 
our people. The histor\- of our own Seventeenth Infantr\' 
was in after time so wrought in and bound up with that of 
the Second, the writer ma}' be pardoned for quoting the 
following brief summar}' of its subsequent career : 

" To give the record of thi.s famous regiment would be to write the 
history of the Army of the Potomac, in which it served throughout the 
war, reenUsting at the expiration of its three years of duty. It was a 
nursery from which came many accompHshed officers for other regi- 
ments ; it received and assimilated the Seventeenth Regiment in 1863, 
and a great number of recruits ; and during its entu'e ser\ice was con- 
spicuous for bravery, soldierly behavior, and untiring devotion to the 
cause. Its record was alwavs right, and its well-earned tame is 
beyond praise." 

Thus it was demonstrated how, even under adverse cir- 
cumstances. New Hampshire was early at the front; but 
while all honor is due to the noble sons and true patriots 
who so quickl}' came forward at their countr}-'s call, equal 
honor at least is due to the energ}', actix'ity, and zeal of the 
worthy chief magistrate at that time. Governor Ichabod 
Goodwin of Portsmotith. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Governor Ichabod Goodwin. 

His life was gentle ; and the elements 

So mixed in him, that nature might stand up 

And say to all the world, " This was a man." 

Shakespea7-e. 

The Student in American history will not fail to note 
that in times of greatest peril when dangers threaten and 
disaster is made possible, a kind Providence has ever 
raised up the right men to guide the ship of state, take com- 
mand of our armies in the field, and mould public opinion in 
the forum. Thus has it ever been from the da}'s of the immor- 
tal Washington to those of the Martyr Lincoln, and thus it 
remains to-day, when as these pages are written the whole 
world rings with praise for our brave officers and men in 
the war waged against Spanish intolerance and cruelt)-. 

Much has been written and more has been said concern- 
ing the governors of the different states in office, when 
Civil War was declared. Governor Andrew of Massachu- 
setts, b}' his noble deeds and energetic example, inspired 
his whole state and in a measure the entire North. Gov- 
ernor Morgan of New ^'ork made possible the speedy for- 
warding of troops which, with those of Massachusetts, 
helped save the national capital from capture, and formed 
the nucleus for the ever increasing arm}'. ]-5ut side by 
side with Andrew and Morgan, and as well deserving of the 
admiration and esteem of a grateful country, stands Gov- 
ernor Ichabod Goodwin, the honored chief magistrate of 
our own New Hampshire. Quiet and unassuming in dis- 
position, loved most by those who knew him best. Governor 
Goodwin was first of all a man of peace. Known as an 




Governor Ichahod Goodwin. 



u 



GOVERNOR ICHABOD GOODIVIN. 33 

eminently successful merchant, with a reputation of the 
most unsullied character, an energy which knew how to 
overcome obstacles, and a noted capacity for affairs of im- 
port, he was elected to fill the gubernatorial chair in the 
year 1859, and as a result of his excellent administration, 
was re-elected in the following year. 

But it was the crisis of '61 that brought to light his real 
merit and showed of what metal he was made. While 
peace and peaceful pursuits were his natural attributes, he 
loved his country first of all, and \\hen its entirety was 
menaced, gave himself wholly to the task of defending its 
honor and preserving its boundaries. He found the state 
without an organized militia, without a dollar in the treas- 
ury which could be used for war purposes, and without 
arms or equipments of a proper kind. But he was fully 
equal to the emergenc^^ Troops were raised, and, on the 
strength of Governor Goodwin's personal repute as the only 
security, the banking institutions and citizens of the state 
offered him as a loan $680,000, to be used for military 
purposes. The offer was accepted, but with his usual 
business sagacity and that of his immediate staff, the 
disbursements were so managed that less than one sixth of 
the amount tendered was actually expended. For this sum 
he was afterw^ards reimbursed by the legislature. " But," 
says one of his biographers, " the fact remains, that to his 
patriotism, firmness, responsibility, and executive energy, 
New Hampshire is indebted, both for her prompt and 
creditable response to the call of the president, and the 
inauguration of the system which raised, equipped, and 
forwarded the succeeding commands, all of which earned 
the gratitude of the state and reflected honor upon it." 

With the expiration of his second term in office, Gov- 
ernor Goodwin retired to pri\'atc life, and was succeeded 
by Nathaniel S. Berry, a de\-oted public servant and a 
faithful administrator of public affairs. 



CHAPTER V. 

Governor Berry and the Seventeenth Infantry. 

" We are coming, we are coming, 
Our Union to restore. 
We are coming. Father Abraham, 
Three hundred thousand more." 

In July, 1862, President Lincoln issued a proclamation 
for 300,000 volunteers. Up to this time New Hampshire 
had raised, equipped, and sent to the front fourteen full 
regiments of infantr)^ a batter}' of light artiller}-, and four 
companies of cavalry. The state had so far exceeded its 
quota that but three regiments were now required. It was 
deemed advisable that these should be raised with as little 
delay as possible. Upon the governor and his council 
devolved the task of accomplishing this work in a wa}' that 
should be most creditable to the state, and helpful at the 
earliest moment to our armies in the field. The i^erccntage 
of the enrolled militia already under arms was so large that 
some difficulty was feared in filling the quota. 

Nathaniel S. Berry then occupied the chair of state. He 
had been elected governor in March, 1861, and was re- 
elected for another year in March, 1862. Under his 
administration all regiments from the Third to the h^ight- 
eenth inclusive were enlisted ; and but two, the First and 
Second, were organized before his accession to ofifice. 
Governor Berry was a man whose experience might well 
have prepared him for the emergenc\' which now existed. 
He was well acquainted with the still remaining resoiu'ces 
of the state ; knew^ the will and disposition of the people, 
and the faith they placed in him as a sturd)', honored, and 




Governor Xathanmki, S. Berry. 



GOVERNOR BLiRRY AND THE SEVENTEENTI/. 35 

upright chief magistrate. His previous calls had ever been 
responded to cheerfull}-, and his care and consideration of 
the regiments from the time of recruiting to the end of his 
official career showed him ever to have been the soldiers' 
friend, anxious so far as possible to alleviate their hard- 
ships, and supply existing needs. He was a conscientious 
administrator of public affairs ; in thorough accord with 
the government at Washington, a zealous defender of his 
countr\-'s rights, and hesitated at no personal sacrifice in 
the painstaking discharge of the onerous duties imposed 
upon him. He had at this time as members of his executive 
council, Richard P. J. Tenney of Pittsfield, Oliver Wyatt of 
Dover, Oliver Pillsbur}- of Henniker, Ethan Colby of Cole- 
brook, and C. F. Brooks of Westmoreland, all good men 
of sound judgment, business experience, and wise determi- 
nation. 

In deciding upon the best and surest manner for the 
early enlistment of the three regiments required to fill 
the state's quota, the governor and council called in con- 
sultation such of the prominent public and militar\' men 
of the state as could then be reached, and asked for their 
opinions. "Among these," says Governor Kerr)-, in one 
of his official documents, " from his familiarity with the 
state, his prior connections with the service, and his posi- 
tion in the legislature, was Colonel Henry O. Kent." 

After a full knowledge of all the facts as presented to 
him, and an exhaustive review of the state's resources. 
Colonel Kent " suggested that the three regiments called 
for be assigned respectively to the three congressional dis- 
tricts of the state, as then constituted." 

We quote again from Go\-ernor Berr}-'s official utterance : 

" This plan was adopted ; and it was decided to organize tlie Fif- 
teenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Infantry Regiments in the First, 
Second, and Third Congressional Districts : to appoint their field offi- 
cers, and authorize them to recruit for their respective commands. 



36 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

John W. Kingman was appointed colonel of the Fifteenth Regiment ; 
James Pike, of the Sixteenth Regiment; and Henry O. Kent, of the 
Seventeenth Regiment, and said regiments were ordered into camp 
consecutively." 

Doubtless the adoption of this plan for the organization 
of the three regiments was wise and judicious. Each con- 
gressional district was accorded the honor of raising its 
own regiment. In each of these districts the governor, 
with advice of council, appointed as colonel of the con- 
gressional regiment the man in that district most calculated 
in their opinion to inspire confidence among his constitu- 
ents, and best fitted by education and experience for com- 
mand in the field ; one whose personal popularity and 
magnetism would rally to his standard a sufificient number 
of men in his own district to fill the regiment in the short- 
est possible time ; for time had become an important factor 
in all the plans and operations of the government. The 
" sixt}' days" of Seward's prophecy had long since passed 
away ; the outlook was not as encouraging as the people 
had anticipated ; there w-as a manifest discontent, however 
well concealed, in many quarters, and more soldiers for a 
speedy termination of the war was then the policy pur- 
sued. 

Moreover, it was thought that the plan adopted would 
cause emulation between the districts, and that each one 
would strive to be first in making up its quota and report- 
ing for duty. But besides all this, the fact that each regi- 
ment was to be ofificered b}' men who were well known 
throughout the counties from which the volunteers were to 
be called, would, it was rightly argued, result in the largest 
number of volunteers and be productive of the least delay. 
We can all remember how easy it was to form a whole 
companx' in comparativch' small towns, when all could go 
under officers selected from among their own townsmen. 
Perhaps it may have been a knowledge of this which sug- 



GOVERNOR BERRY AND THE SEVENTEENTH. 37 

gested the congressional division as the best arrangement 
possible. 

The congressional districts, as they existed at that time, 
and the assignments for the raising of a full regiment in 
each, under Governor Berry's order as already given, were 
as follows : 

First Congressional District: Counties of Rockingham, 
Strafford, Belknap, and Carroll : Fifteenth Regiment, John 
W. Kingman, colonel. 

Second Congressional District: Counties of Merrimack 
and Hillsborough : Sixteenth Regiment, James Pike, colonel. 

Third Congressional District : Counties of Cheshire, Sul- 
livan, Grafton, and Coos: Seventeenth Regiment, Henry O. 
Kent, colonel. 

All preliminaries having been thus settled, additional 
field of^cers were appointed by the governor and council, 
and the work of recruiting commenced in earnest. 



CHAPTER VI. 

George A. Ramsdell, Governor i 897-1898. 

By henry O. KENT. 

As this is perhaps the hist regimental histor}' of the 
da)'s of the war for the Union ; recognizing the significant 
fact, that at this writing, a generation later than the close 
of that conflict, we are again under arms, this time, thank 
God, a united people, either section of the country v\-ing 
with the other in noble emulation for the honor of the flag, 
and when a New Hampshire regiment is again in the field, 
it seems peculiarly fitting that this volume be the connect- 
ing link between the military record of the glorious past 
and the story that shall be told in like manner of the deeds 
of her sons in this conflict. 

To that end it also seems fitting that \ve present a brief 
narrative of the personality and career of the present chief 
executive of the state and commander-in-chief of its mili- 
tary power — the honored citizen who, by the choice of its 
people, enjoys the high distinction of being a War Gov- 
crnoi', and merits b}' his wise and vigorous action, a place 
among the trio thus formed — Ichabod Goodwin. Nathaniel 
S. Berry, and George A. Ramsdell. 

The writer has known Governor Ramsdell through the 
vicissitudes of an active life, with respect for his sterling 
qualities and absolute integrity as a citizen. 

George Allen Ramsdell, born in Milford, March ii, 
1834, is of I'Lnglish stock and from one of the earl\' fami- 
lies of New England. He took a preparatory academic 
course at the well known iMcCollom Institute at Mont 




Governor George A. Ramsdell. 



GOVERNOR GEORGE A. RAMSDELL. 39 

Vernon, was an undergraduate at Dartmouth, from 
which he later received the degree of A. M., was admitted 
to the Bar, and was for a long time clerk of the coiu'ts for 
Hillsborough count)'. After his retirement from this 
responsible position in which he often acted \\ith great 
approval as a trier of cases, he was tendered a seat upon 
the Supreme Bench by Governor John B. Smith. 

He has for years been identified with the development 
and progress of Nashua, his adopted city, being prominent 
in all good works; serving upon the board of education, as 
trustee of the public library, member of the legislature, of 
the constitutional convention of 1876, as president of the 
trustees of the State Industrial school, and as a member of 
the Executive Council of the Governor. He has long been 
a director in railroads, manufacturing enterprises, and bank 
president and treasurer. 

His position and influence in moral affairs has always 
been potential on the right side ; as a consistent member of 
the Congregational church, a practical and pronounced 
temperance man, a just and worthy Mason, having attained 
to the Thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite. In his 
pleasant home on Concord street he enjo}'s the just reward 
and rest of an honorable and busy life. Thus equipped, he 
was in November, 1896, elected Governor of his state, 
serving with conscientious singleness of purpose and excel- 
lent results. 

Governor Ramsdell is careful, considerate, conservative, 
and yet a quick observer of public events, ready to meet 
the exigencies of state as they arise with wise delibera- 
tion. 

It must stand as a great credit to the state and its chief 
magistrate, that in the spring of the present year he raised 
so speedily and equipped so thoroughly, the admirable 
regiment now sustaining the honor of New Hampshire in 
the field, a regiment that we of the "old regime" gladly 



40 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

welcome to comradeship, and the New Hampshire roll of 
honor begun at Louisburg and Bunker Hill and lengthened 
in every recurring war. 

The expedition, wise forethought, and experienced care 
exercised by Governor Ramsdell in organizing and forward- 
ing the First New Hampshire Infantrj' in I\Ia)-, 1898, is 
well set forth in the following telegram sent the governor 
and given to the press, by Senator Chandler: 

" Wa'shixgtox, May 23, 1898. 

The president, secretary of war, and adjutant-general express them- 
selves as highly gratified that the New Hampshire regiment — 250 more 
than our quota — has come so promptly into the field, completely 
equipped in all particulars for immediate service. 

" The people of New Hampshire may well be proud of the good and 
quick work done by their governor and council, adjutant-general, and 
other militarv authorities, and may feel sure that their first Cuban regi- 
ment will continue to do honor to the state. .... 

" Accept my personal thanks and gratitude for the good judgment, 
rapiditv, and success with which you have in behalf of the state met 
the first demands of the war for Cuban freedom." 



CHAPTER VII. 
Field and Staff of the Seventeenth. 

The riches of the Commonwealth 

Are free, strong minds, and hearts of health : 

And more to her than gold or gi'^'". 

The cunning hand and cultured brain. 

IV/iiltier. 

The field and staff officers of the Seventeenth New 
Hampshire Infantry were : Colonel, Henry O. Kent of Lan- 
caster; lieutenant-colonel, Charles H. Long of Claremont ; 
major, George H. Bellows of Walpole ; adjutant, George A. 
Wainwright of Hanover; quartermaster, Edward N. Cum- 
mings of Colebrook ; surgeon, James D. Folsom, M. D., of 
Lancaster; assistant surgeons, Luther C. Bean, M. D., of 
Lebanon, and Horatio N. Small, M. D., of Lancaster; 
chaplain. Rev. George S. Barnes of Seabrook. All were 
selected upon the plan that had been agreed to for recruit- 
ing the regimental quota in the third congressional district, 
save the chaplain, who was appointed as a personal selec- 
tion of the governor's. It is noticeable, also, that the four 
counties in this district were represented by the four offi- 
cers first named: Colonel Kent was from Coos; Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel Long from Sullivan ; Major Bellows from 
Cheshire, and Adjutant Wainwright from Grafton. 

Colonel Kent's appointment as commander of the regi- 
ment to be raised in the Third Congressional District, was 
preeminently wise, judicious, and deserving. It elicited 
unexpected enthusiasm throughout the district, and resulted 
in more speedy and general enlistments than had been 
thought possible. Although a comparati\-el)^ }-oung man, 



42 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

at the time but twenty-eight years of age, he had acquired 
a large and valuable experience as assistant adjutant-gen- 
eral of New Hampshire under Goxernor Ichabod Good- 
\\\\\. \X. a still earlier period, in 1 852, he was prepared 
for and entered upon a full collegiate and militar}' course, 
in that nursery of warlike heroes and commanders, whose 
record stands only second to that of West Point, the 
famous Norwich Universit}- of Vermont. From this insti- 
tution he graduated ^\•ith commendable honors in 1854, 
and shortl}" after, the facult}' as a recognition of his worth 
and their own appreciation of his ability, elected him a 
member of its board of trustees. This position he has 
ever since held, and for man}' }'ears was president of the 
Alumni association. As earl\' as 185 i, as shown b\' the 
records in the adjutant-general's ofifice, he was an active 
member of New Hampshire's organized militia and had 
risen to be a corporal of artiller}- in the Forty-Second 
Regiment. From this as a starting point, his military 
career appears to have been ever advancing until he was 
commissioned colonel of the famous Governor's Horse 
Guards, organized for special duty as a bod\'-guard to 
his excellency the governor, composed of leading men 
throughout the state. He was also acting as chief of staf^ 
to the major-general commanding one of the state divi- 
sions. 

On the day Governor Goodwin issued his first proclama- 
tion, April 16, 1 86 1, he ordered Colonel Kent to report in 
Concord, and upon his arrixal assigned him to dut\- as 
aide-de-camp in the organizatic^n and equipment of the First 
New Hampshire Regiment. It should here be recorded 
that on that eventful 1 6th of April. 1 86 1, Colonel Kent 
opened one of the first recruiting offices in the state, in his 
nati\'e town of Lancaster, and there within a few tla)-s an 
entire com pan}' had been raised and made read}' for 
muster. But immediate super\'ision of the recruiting ser- 



FIELD AiVD STAFF OF THE SEVENTEENTH. 43 

vice was abandoned in response to the governor's more 
imperative orders, and after completing his duties con- 
nected with the formation and equipment of the First Regi- 
ment, on the 29th day of April he was commissioned 
assistant adjutant-general of New Hampshire, with the rank 
of colonel, and ordered to repair to Portsmouth and there 
assist in the organization and equipment of the Second 
New Hampshire Infantr}\ to rendezvous at that point. 
Colonel Martin A. Haynes, in his excellent history of the 
heroic Second, says: 

" The state equipped the Second Regiment (as it also had tlie First) 
in the most thorough and comprehensive manner, according to the 
military standard of the day, and the completeness of its outfit attracted 
the admiring attention of old army officers." 

Although these two regiments were the first to leave the 
state, and their hurried departure was forced in every way 
to meet the existing demands of the government, every 
detail in their organization had been so carefully provided 
for, and all requirements, for ever}' department, had been 
so faithful!}' and ftilh' met, they were honest!}- entitled to 
the " admiring attention " bestowed upon them b}' " old 
arm}' officers ; " and thc}^ became the models for the 
formation of future regiments in New Hampshire. To 
Colonel Kent was due credit for tlie thorough organization 
and equipment of these troops. Strict attention to the 
minutest detail was ever a strong point in his character. 
He tool< nothing for granted, but ever observed the Puritan 
maxim, to " do in the most tliorough manner the thing 
that was next to be done." It is a circumstance to be 
remembered, that with this Second Regiment, to which 
Colonel Kent was so devoted, and in whose organization he 
bore so conspicuous a part, the Seventeenth, his own com- 
mand, was consolidated, when consolidation became a 
necessit}' later on in the progress of the war. 



44 



SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 



After completing his duties in connection with the 
Second Regiment, and until appointed colonel of the 
Seventeenth, he was actively employed in the editorial 
supervision of his newspaper, the Coos Repiiblican ; in 
the enlistment of additional troops, and as a representative 
from Lancaster to the general court. From his knowledge 
and experience he was made chairman of the committee on 
military affairs, a most important and exacting position, 
which required the closest and most careful attention. 
The old militia laws were at this session repealed, and an 
entireh' new military system, drawn up and revised b}' the 
chairman of the military committee, was adopted. 

Commanding in appearance, possessing a thorough mili- 
tar\' education gained through exacting stud}', close obser- 
vation, and long experience ; with an untarnished reputa- 
tion for strict honesty, integrity, and patriotism, reaching 
backwards in an unbroken line, through generations of 
honored ancestors. Colonel Kent was in e\'er}' wa\' fitted 
for the position to which Governor Berr)- assigned him ; 
and his labors and persistenc}' in working for his regiment, 
and obtaining for it at last that recognition from the gen- 
eral government which the patriotism and devotion of its 
men and offtcers so fully merited, is but another exhibition 
of the man, and an exemplification of there being " the 
right man in the right place." 

In later years Colonel Kent has been much in public 
life. He was an alternate delegate to the National Con- 
vention which nominated Abraham Lincoln in i860, and 
in 1864 a member of the New Hampshire Electoral Col- 
lege, voting for Lincoln and Johnson. Again, twenty 
years later, in 1884, he was a delegate-at-large to the 
National Con\'ention which nominated Gro\"er Clex'eland, 
moving his nomination in a remembered speech and voting 
for him. For one term he was postmaster of the United 
States senate, afterwards naval officer in the Port of 



FIELD AXD STAFF OF THE SEVEXTEENTH. 45 

Boston, and has been repeatedly in the legislature, both 
senate and house. He has al\va\'s occupied a prominent 
position in the banking circles of the state, and to the 
banking business he now chiefly devotes his time. On the 
incoming of the second Cleveland administration he was 
invited to the position of assistant secretary of war. 



CHAPTER VIII. 
Field and Staff. — Contimicd. 

I venerate the man whose heart is warm, 

Whose hands are pure, whose doctrine and whose life 

Coincident, exhibit lucid proof 

That he is honest in the sacred cause. 

Cotvper. 

Lieutenant-Colonel Charles H. Long was also a graduate 
of the famous Norwich University, and received therein the 
military education and drill which fitted him so well for the 
stern duties of after life. When Colonel Cross organized 
the " Fighting Fifth" in October, 1861, Colonel Long was 
commissioned captain of Compan}- G, and went to the 
front with that regiment. Its after deeds are matters of 
histor^^ Says an able commentator : 

" As with the Second, so witli the Fifth, the limits of a chapter 
would utterly fail to yive its history. It furnished ijallant officers for 
later regiments, received many recruits, and was always conspicuous 
for its bravery and heroic work. It was in the Peninsular, Maryland. 
Pennsylvania, and Virginia Campaigns ; and its colonel made the proud 
boast to the writer, that in the disastrous charge at Fredericksburg, 
his dead lay nearer the enemy's rifie-i)its than those of anv other regi- 
ment in the Army of the Potomac. While a veteran of the Fifth 
remains, its deeds of daring, its amateur engineering, its marches, and 
its conflicts will be as fresh in their memories as the rollicking strains 
of * One-Eyed Riley ! ' and their services will have the appreciation that 
follows honest endeavor.''' 

It is a i)art of the record in the War department that the 
maxinumi loss in killeil was greater in the Fifth New 
Hampshire than in an}- other regiment in the army. 

While leading his company at the Battle of Antietam, 



FIELD AND STAFF OF THE SEVEiyTEENTH. 47 

Captain Long was severe!}' wounded and in consequence 
resigned his command ; but he took service again as Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel of the Seventeenth, and was esteemed and 
respected, both as a soldier and a genial, good-hearted 
gentleman. He afterwards commanded the heavy artillery ; 
was ordered into the defenses around Washington, and 
remained in service until the close of the war. Colonel 
Kent sa}'s of him : 

" I could have had no one in liis position more gratifying to my 
feelings, or \vho on every occasion demeaned himself with more 
scrupulous kindness and ability."' 

The major, George H. Bellows, came from W'alpole. 
He had already served as a lieutenant in the three months' 
campaign of the Eighth New York V^olunteers, and as an 
aide to acting Brigadier-General Miles at Harper's Ferry. 
After leaving the Seventeenth, he was commissioned major 
of a battalion of infantr\' raised for service in that section 
of Virginia near Washington, under control of the Union 
forces, wherein the state government exercised authority. 

Adjutant George A. Wainwright was first of all a soldier; 
he was every inch inclined that \\a}', from the crown of his 
head to the sole of his foot. No adjutant e\'er understood 
his duties better and none ever performed them more punc- 
tiliously or with a stricter regard for dut\-. Ever)-thing 
that the adjutant had to do was well done and done in a 
soldierly manner. When off duty he was ever a delightful 
companion and a s}'mpathetic friend, but in his " official 
capacity" he was pre-eminentl}' a soldier. He had already 
served in two campaigns and afterwards joined Colonel 
Long's heavy artillery as lieutenant and was speedily 
promoted to major. 

" I was particularly fortunate," writes Colonel Kent in 
one of his sketches made twenty years ago, " in the organi- 
zation of the staff. Doctor James D. Folsom, the surgeon, 



48 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

was a gentleman of agreeable address, great experience, 
and sound information." " Of agreeable address," not 
onl}^ to the colonel and his officers, but equally so to the 
poorest private or the most pitiable invalid of any sort that 
required his attention, or was met with in his visitations. 
His cheerful manner and pleasant words appeared to be as 
efficacious as his medicines, and the bo\'s liked them e\'er 
so much better. " Experience," too, he had in a large 
degree; and this, coupled with his " sound information," 
led every one from colonel down to feel that they were in 
the best of hands when sickness or bodih' injur}^ came, if 
only Folsom was there to look after them. The doctor is 
still in active practice in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. May 
he live long and prosper ! 

Doctor Luther C. Bean of Lebanon left a lucrative prac- 
tice which fully occupied his experienced attention to accept 
the staff position of first assistant surgeon, and all who 
came to know him well, were glad that he accepted, and 
felt the safer because " Bean was in camp." He was a 
thoroughly good man, an honor to his profession, and a 
most acceptable and valuable addition to the medical staff 
of the regiment. 

Doctor Horatio N. Small, second assistant surgeon, had 
but recently graduated from the Medical School of Dart- 
mouth College, and brought with him a warm commenda- 
tion for the position from the facult}\ He was a faithful 
and conscientious worker and gained the good will and 
esteem of all with whom he came in contact. After the 
consolidation of the Seventeenth, Doctor Small served as 
assistant surgeon of the Thirteenth New Hampshire Infan- 
try, and was thence promoted to be surgeon of the Tenth. 
When the war closed he settled in Portland, Maine, and 
became one of the most successful jM'actitioners of that cit}'. 
His death was widely lamented and he left behind a large 
circle of appreciative friends. 



FIELD AXD STAFF OF THE SEl^F.NTEENTH. 49 

" Chaplain Barnes," as he was known throughout the 
canip, was an earnest and zealous friend and an estimable 
man. Conscious of the hea\-y responsibilities in\-oKed in 
the sacred office allotted him he was most faithful in the 
discharge of every duty and proved himself on all occasions 
to be indeed the " soldier's friend." 

Quartermaster Edward N. Cummings was a t\-pical New 
Englander, from under the shadow of old Monadnock. He 
never flinched in the performance of a dut}' ; he ne\'er left 
a dut}- undone ; and neither fear nor fa\"()r could swerve 
him one iota from that course which, his mind once made 
up, he decided was the right one to pursue. As is gener- 
ally the case with men of strong wills, he was uni\-ersalh- 
esteemed in the regiment and was a most efhcient cjuarter- 
master. He now resides in L\'nn, Mass. 

We again quote from an old manuscript of Colonel 
Kent's in writing of his staff: 

" Never was a colonel l^etter supported, and no incident ever 
occurred during our prolonged and uncertain stav in camp to mar tlie 
warm attachment that subsisted between us." 
4 



CHAPTER IX. 

Enlistments. 

Our hardy sons who till the earth, 

Undaunted still, will danger face; 
The land that gave our fathers birth, 

Will never bear a coward race. 

Haven. 

Senator Proctor of Vermont from the Committee on 
Militar}' Affairs in his report to the senate, concerning the 
status of the Seventeenth New Hampshire Infantr\\ saj's : 

" The field officers were appointed by the governor of the state for 
each regiment, with the understanding that the recruits enHsted in the 
three districts were to belong to the Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seven- 
teenth regiments of New Hampshire Volunteers, respectively. Under 
this arrangement there were enlisted, as shown b}- the report of the 
adjutant-general of the state, seven hundred and ninety-one men from 
the third district who belonged by the assignment referred to in 
Colonel Kent's command." 

Governor Berry in an official report ah'eady quoted from, 
full}' corroborates the statement of Senator Proctor. 

To tmderstand the further history of this regiment, the 
fact that the enlistments in the Third Congressional District 
were to be exclusively for the Seventeenth Regiment must 
be carefulh' borne in mind. There was never any doubt 
abotit it. With all the papers before him. Senator Proctor 
so stated in congress ; Governor Berr}' so ordered the 
organization of the regiment at the outset, and afterwards 
confirmed this understanding in a written statement made 
to congress. It was also distincth' tuulerstood throughout 
the district by the recruiting ofificers who enlisted the men, 
and by the men who were enlisted. The}' were enlisted 
to join the Seventeenth Regiment. 



ENL ISTMENTS. 5 1 

Immediateh^ upon the appointment of field officers, 
recruiting stations were opened in various towns of the 
Third Congressional District and every exertion made to fill 
the ranks as speedily as possible. The following is a copy 
of the poster sent out by the Lancaster agency, and similar 
ones were used at other stations : 

"Highlanders Shoulder to Shoulder." 
17th regiment. 

Nine Months' Service. 

The undersigned are authorized to raise a company of Volunteers in 
the County of Coos for Nine Months' Service in the 17th Regiment — 
Colonel Henry O. Kent. 

Town Bounties $50, $75, and $100 are paid to the Recruit upon 
being mustered into service. 

State Aid to Families is also guaranteed. 

By special authority Recruits will be enlisted in the town of Lancas- 
ter and the surrounding towns, for a limited time. 

Come in out of the Draft, 

which will )iot be postponed if the town quotas are not filled. 

The 17th will soon go into camp at Concord and be fitted out in 
complete style, as in the regular service. 

Office in Lancaster at the counting-room of J. I. Williams. 

DR.A.FTING WILL COMMENCE THE 27TH INST. 

J.\RED L \VlLLI.A.MS, 

J.-VMES S. Brackett. 
Lancaster, October 18, 1862. 

The general otitlook at this time was far from reassuring. 
Volunteering had nearly ceased ; the events of '62 were 
not encouraging — Malvern Hill, Fair Oaks, and the 
advance on Richmond ; the administration was being 
severely criticised, and the fall elections were not favorable. 
People were feeling the burden and pressure of the war. 
A draft in our own state, it was thought, would be necessary 
to fill its quota, and the governor had even gone so far as 
to arrange for its bein"" made in October. No other regi- 



52 SEVENTEENTH NKIV HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

ments were called into camp under such depressing circum- 
stances. But the honor and patriotic spirit of the old Third 
district were at stake. It had been asked to raise a regi- 
ment — all its own. Field officers from its own territory 
had been assigned, and they were men in whom the people 
had confidence and who they knew would prove worthy 
leaders of a brave and gallant regiment. It was determined 
that the regiment should be raised ! F"or these men, who 
thus volunteered, there was no " come in out of the draft" 
arsfument needed ; " town bounties " had but little influence 
with them. There was at once manifested an esprit du 
corps that nowhere else existed. Officers and men were 
knitted together in a common bond. They were all neigh- 
bors and friends in a united band to uphold the honor 
of the Granite State and do manfull}- its part for the pres- 
ervation of government. 

Recruiting progressed rapid!}'. A full compan}' was 
raised in Lancaster, although the quota of the town was 
much more than full, and the most encouraging reports 
were received from other stations in the district. The 
adjutant-general in his report says : 

" The officers and men enlisted in the full expectation of immediate 
service, and evinced their patriotism by responding to the call for 
volunteers. The records of this office show that after its officers were 
commissioned there were enlisted for it seven hundred and ninety-one 
men.*' 

It was the decision of the governor that the regiments 
should be called in numerical order. Under this order the 
Fifteenth and Si.xteenth went into camp at Concord in 
October. Meanwhile the officers of the Seventeenth were 
waiting impatiently the governor's call for them, but 
it did not come until November 19th, when immediate 
orders were issued to rendezvous at Concord without delay. 
The field and staff were early on the ground. Company 
A of Lancaster with full ranks, under Captain Jared I. Wil- 



ENLISTMENTS. 53 

Hams, reported next day. Company B, Captain Isaac F. 
Jenness, from Portsmouth, came in next morning". Tliis 
company while outside the district, b}' the special request 
of the people of Portsmouth, had been raised for, and was 
permitted to join, the Seventeenth. Compan\- C, Captain 
Calvin S. Brown, came next with partially filled ranks. 

There were then in camp two hundred and twent}--six 
men and it became evident that the efforts of the officers 
and men of the Seventeenth Infantry to be first in the field 
were likely to result from circumstances over which they 
had no control, to their very serious disadx'antage, and in 
possible disaster to the regimental organization. 



CHAPTER X. 

The Situation Reviewed. 

The flesh may fail, the heart may faint, 
But who are we to make complaint? 

IVhittier. . 

While from first to last the adjutant-general's record 
credits 791 men enlisted for the Seventeenth Infantr}-, there 
were actually enrolled and ready for service the moment 
the organization should be completed over 900 men. It 
was stated in the last chapter that the regiment went into 
camp with 226 men. Where were the more than 600 other 
volunteers from the Third District, who had so early enlisted 
under the expressed condition that they should be incor- 
porated in this command? We again quote from Senator 
Proctor's report as chairman of the committee on military 
affairs : 

"The Fifteenth and Sixteenth regiments assigned to the First and 
Second districts, not being filled, by reason of the failure of some 
of the towns to raise their quotas, and tliere being great pressure for 
troops in the field, made by the War Department upon the state 
authorities, it was determined l)y the latter to transfer the men raised 
in the Third district for Colonel Kent's regiment, to the Fifteenth and 
Sixteenth, thereby completing those regiments and hurrying them to 
the front. This was accordingly done, leaving Colonel Kent with but 
a small portion of his men," 

Governor Berry's statement of this transfer of the Seven- 
teenth's volunteers is as follows : 

"The Fifteenth and Sixteenth regiments iieing in cam]i, but not 
full, by reason of the failures of some towns in the First and Second 
Congressional districts to fill their quotas, and the War Deixirtment 



THE SITUATION REVIEWED. 55 

urging haste in forwarding regiments, men and companies from the 
Third Congressional District were ordered into these regiments, the 
intention being to supply their places in the Seventeenth by filling these 
quotas for that regiment at a later day. As a result of this policy the 
Fifteenth and Sixteenth regiments were sent to the front early in 
November, 1862. The Seventeenth regiment was ordered into the 
barracks vacated by them during the same montli."' 

Of coufse this action taken by Governor Berry tinder tlic 
extreme pressure brought to bear upon him from the War 
Department, had been anticipated by the ofificers of the 
Seventeenth, and vigorous protests had been made, but they 
were met with the reply that the Fifteenth and Sixteenth 
regiments being ah'eady in camp, and the demand for 
troops so urgent, it was absohitely necessary to fill these 
two regiments at once and get them off to the front ; that 
it was impossible to do this unless men who had x'olun- 
teered from the Third district were impressed, and that the 
end justified the means. And so, irrespective of location, 
the companies first raised were ordered into camp, and 
mustered at once into the Fifteenth and Sixteenth regi- 
ments, until over 600 men from the Third District who 
belonged to and were enlisted for the Seventeenth had been 
thus taken from that command to fill the ranks of other 
regiments ! 

Had the governor ordered the assembling at Concord of 
the three nine months' regiments at one and the same time, 
it is evident that the Seventeenth would have been first 
filled to the maximum, and first sent to the front, since 
under such an order the men enlisted for it wotdtl ha\'e been 
properly assigned, and the cnerg}' and patriotism of officers 
and privates would have brooked no dela}'. But, owing to 
his decision to despatch the Fifteenth and Sixteenth before 
the Seventeenth was called, the results already chronicled 
were a necessary consequence. 

Governor Berry was a patriotic, diligent, and faithful 
executive. His chief desire was to subserve the public 



56 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

good. It is not for a moment to be supposed that in his 
disposition of the nine months troops he was guided b}' 
other than the best of motives. He acted from a sense of 
dut\' ; and it is in evidence that he deepl}' regretted that 
apparent exigenc)' of the times, which compelled him to 
deplete the ranks of the Seventeenth to fill up those of the 
other commands, and, by so doing, to contribute more im- 
mediatel}' to the support of the government in its hour 
of need. 

But while feeling most keenh' the disappointment and 
dela\' thus engendered, there was found no place for com- 
plaint and no halting in the patriotic endea\'or to get to the 
front. It was a matter for congratulation that the Seven- 
teenth had contributed so largel}' to the earl\- exodus of the 
Fifteenth and Sixteenth. The}- were both good regiments, 
and both did good service. The Seventeenth had ever a 
more than brotherly interest in their action, and should 
receive proper credit for the men it furnished to fill their 
ranks. And all honor to the brave men who were thus, 
without consent, but impelled b\' a military necessit\-, trans- 
ferred from the regiment of their own district, for which 
they had been enlisted. The\' pro\'ed themseh'es, as was 
to be expected, good and true soldiers, sinking their own 
disappointments, and cheerfully submitting to the inevi- 
table, in the patriotic endeavor to gi\'e their best services, 
wherever needed most, to the defence and welfare of their 
country. 

Six full companies were formed of men enlisted in the 
Third district, and assigned to other commands, as follows: 

TO THE FIFTKHXIII RF.C WMKNT. 

Company B. — l'l}'mouth and \icinity. in (irafton countx", 
John W. ICla, captain. Recruited b\- Major lienr}- W. Blair. 

Company C. — Bath and \icinit}', in Graftcm count)'. 
Moses H. Long, captain. 



THE SITUATION REVIEWED. 57 

Company F^. — Canaan and \icinit}', in Grafton county, 
William Gordon, captain. 

TO THE SIXTKKXril RKCnrEXT. 

Company A. — Lebanon and \'icinit}', in Grafton count)-, 
Elias F. Smith, captain. 

Company F. — Fitzwilliam and \icinit\', in Cheshire 
count}', Charles H. Woods, captain. 

Company I. — Swanzcy and vncinit}', in Cheshire count}', 
David Buffum, 2d, captain. 

Thus matters rested when the Seventeenth was called 
into camp on the 19th da}- of November, 1862, but thus 
the ofificers had no intention matters should remain, if 
Avithin their power to still bring about, under proper action, 
a complete organization with a full complement of men. 
The regiment of the Third District had been made an 
impossibilit}', but the Seventeenth New Hampshire Infantry 
was an undoubted, phcenix-like reality, and the strongest 
assurances came from the executive chamber that the 
quotas still due from the Second and Third districts should 
be immediately filled, and the men thus obtained trans- 
ferred to the Seventeenth. 



CHAPTER XI. 
Camp Ethan Colby. 

"Americans all, to the end of time, 
And the old flag waves on high 
'Till the world stands back with bated breath 
While the stars and stripes go by." 

If all the men enlisted in the Third Congressional Dis- 
trict for the Seventeenth Infantry had been permitted to 
join that command, as was promised them, and as it was 
clear!}' supposed they would do when their enrollment took 
place, it would have numbered at this time 916 men, or 
more than enough to authorize an immediate muster of the 
field ofificers and ensure the earl}^ dispatch of the regiment. 

But in spite of the loss of nearly seven hundred men. 
transferred to other organizations, the Seventeenth with a 
strong nucleus to center upon, preserved an undaunted 
determination to surmount every obstacle, and with the 
promised assistance from the state department refill its 
ranks and earn a deserved success in the service for which 
it had faithfully volunteered. 

Orders were at once issued, and drill and militar\' disci- 
pline enforced. The American fiag was hoisted with 
proper honors and the rendezvous named " Camp Ethan 
Colby," by order of the colonel and to the gratification of 
the men assembled. Ethan Colby was an honored citizen 
of Colebrook in the northernmost county of the Third 
Congressional District; at the time a most useful and ener- 
getic member of the Governor's Council antl c\cr a good 
and true friend of the regiment — its officers and men. It 
was a pleasure to all concerned thus to associate his name 




z ?^ 



r- O 



lit "^ 



"^-;!^ 



■^•Jmic:^ 



CAMP ETHAN COLBY. 59 

with the organization in which his personal interest was so 
great, and it can be truthfully said that no state camp was 
ever formed which better sustained a proud record for dis- 
cipline, general good order and military strictness. 

Company A was commanded by Capt. Jarcd I. Williams 
of Lancaster, a gentleman of high social position, an earn- 
est patriot and a painstaking officer. He was the youngest 
son of Jared W. Williams, a former honored governor of the 
state. He graduated from Brown University in the class of 
1854, was a member of the Coos county bar, at one time 
editor of the Cods County Democrat, and at present a cix'il 
engineer of marked abilit}'. No man ever enjoyed a better 
and more deserved reputation among his fellow-citizens for 
strict integrity, impartial justice and strong adhesion to hon- 
est convictions. When Company A arrived in Concord, its 
formation and march through the city to the campgrounds 
were watched and followed b}- an old army officer who re- 
marked to its commander, " that is the best drilled com- 
pany that has ever gone in camp in New Hampshire." 

First Lieut. James S. Brackett, also from Lancaster, was 
a descendant in a long line of Revolutionary heroes and pat- 
riots, a man of extended literary research, of more than 
ordinary literary ability, and of great personal worth. He 
is at present by the united action of the Seventeenth's vet- 
eran association, secretary of the Regimental Association. 

Second Lieut. Joseph Chase was a warm friend and 
cheerful companion. He had an inexhaustible fund of 
good nature and an honest s}'mpathy for those in trouble. 
Faithful and painstaking, he was a worthy officer in a good 
compan}', and his early death was deeply regretted by 
many sincere and devoted friends, among whom must be 
included all of the command to which he was attached. 

Capt. Isaac F. Jenness of Company B enlisted as -a pri- 
vate in the company raised by the citizens of Portsmouth 
for this regiment, and upon its organization was unani- 



6o SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

mously elected its commander. He was a thorough sol- 
dier, a strict disciplinarian, and would hav^e proved a most 
efficient officer in the field had the regiment been permitted 
to go to the front. 

Frank D. Webster of Portsmouth, the first lieutenant of 
Company B, was a gentleman of many accomplishments 
and fine military presence. He was afterwards appointed 
second lieutenant of the United States Marine Corps, regu- 
larly promoted therein to first lieutenant and captain ; served 
on the United States ship Lancaster, and retired from ser- 
vice April 1st, 1884. He now resides in Philadelphia. 

Second Lieut. Ammi B. I-^arr enlisted as a private, and 
was promoted by the vote of his comrades because of his 
soldierly qualities. He had previously served as corporal 
in the Sixth New Hampshire Infantry. 

Capt. Calvin S. Brown of Company C, was a graduate of 
Dartmouth College, of good executive ability and a pop- 
ular commander. He afterwards joined the Dartmouth 
Cavalry, consolidated with Company B, Seventh squad- 
ron, Rhode Island Volunteer Cavalry. He now resides in 
Washington. 

First Lieut. Charles N. Kent of Company C, was edu- 
cated at Norwich Military Universit}^ and for the past 
thirty years has been in active business in New York city. 
Second Lieut. Josiah Bellows was a son of the Honorable 
Henry A. Bellows of Concord, for man\' )'ears a judge on 
the bench of the Supreme Court. 

It has been our endeavor in the j)ages preceding to fur- 
nish a truthful sketch of the officers — field, staff and line — 
in this regiment to which we were all so lo\-al, and for 
which we hoped so much. As were the officers, so were 
the men, honest patriots, sterling citizens, good neighbors, 
and faithful friends. Who can wonder at their disapjioint- 
ment when hastening to Concord in anticipation of a speedy 
muster with full ranks and then an earl}' departure to the 



CAMP ETHAN COLBY. 6 1 

front, they found upon their arri\-al but the skeleton of a 
regiment and that seven hundred of their men had been 
transferred to other commands ! And who that does not 
admire the indomitable Yankee pluck and patience of these 
men in thus so quietly accepting the inevitable, and settling- 
down to the daily round of camp dut\' and drill, buo}'ed 
up by ofificial assurance that their ranks should be again 
filled by volunteers if possible, if not then b}' the enforce- 
ment of the state draft, and that the regiment should be 
speedily placed in condition for active ser\'ice. 



CHAPTER XII. 
General Orders. 

" Hear ye ! hear ye ! ! hear ye ! ! " 

The first general order issued from regimental headquar- 
ters embodied the precepts intended for camp and is here 
reproduced in full : 

Headquarters ijth N. H. Regiment, 

CoNXORD, Nov. 1 8th, 1862. 
General Order No. i . 

This camp is hereby named " Camp Ethan Colby " in honor of Hon. 
Ethan Colby of the executive council. 

In assuming command of the regiment the colonel takes occasion to 
remind the officers and men that the enforcement of good morals and 
strict discipline are alike essential for the public good and beneficial to 
the men. He relies upon the cordial cooperation of the men, to organ- 
ize and maintain a regiment of soldiers fitted by bodily health and 
emulous attention to discipline to render efficient service. 

Hours of different calls will be immediately announced, and the 
instruction of officers and privates at once commenced. 

Public religious services, conducted by the chaplain and attended by 
the regiment, will be observed at nine and one half o'clock of each 
Sabbath. 

No spirituous or intoxicating liquor, except for medicinal purpcses 
as prescribed and given by the surgeon will be allowed within the 
lines, and commanding officers finding any such, contrary to this 
order, will destroy the same or turn it over to the use of the hospital. 

Mail matter will be received and distributed by the chaplain who is 
hereby constituted regimental postmaster. 

Squads or companies of recruits arriving will innncdiatoly report to 
headquarters and be assigned position in the barracks by the (|uarter- 
master, who w-ill report daily to the adjutant, until further orders, the 
condition and occupancy of such barrack. 

While full comjxinies reporting at headcjuarters will be, in accord- 



GENERAL ORDERS. 63 

ance with the proclamation of the commander-in-chief, authorized to 
designate two commissioned officers who, if qualified, will be appointed, 
the prevalence of petty caucuses to select officers or to associate 
squads, is detrimental to discipline, pernicious in its efl'ects, and con- 
trary to army regulations. It is, therefore, strictly prohibited. 

The inclinations and proper desires of the men regarding company 
organizations will l)e duly considered on application at headquarters. 

Companies when mustered into service will be at once uniformed. 
The company letter, when announced, and the regimental number will 
be displayed in small characters on the lower side of the top of tlie 
cap. All other devices are superfluous and prohibited. Officers, field, 
staff, and line, will provide themselves with uniforms and outfits, being 
reminded to use conformity in every particular. 

Passes outside the line will not be granted e.xcept for good and valid 
reasons, nor will the sentinels pass any man who does not exhibit a 
pass, signed by his company commander and countersigned by the 
commanding officer of the regiment. 

Officers will pay attention to the health of the men and encourage 
them while off duty in all proper athletic exercises. 

The colonel, in closing, assures the regiment tliat merit is and will 
be the only criterion of advancement ; that while all disobedience of 
orders will be promptly noticed, the soldier of whatever grade who 
cheerfully and faithfully performs his duties will be remembered at 
headquarters. By command of 

Hkxkv O. Ki:nt, 

Colonel. 

George A. Waixwright, 

Adjiilaiit. 

"General order No. 2," giving the " soldier's time-table" 
from reveille to taps, was issued next da)', and strictly 
adhered to so long as the regiment occtij)icd the camp : 

17TH N. H. Regiment, 
Camp Ethax Colby, 
November 19th, 1862. 
General Order No. 2. 

Until otherwise ordered calls will be sounded from these head(|uarters 
in the following order : 
Reveille, 6 a. m. 
Breakfast, 7 a. m. 
Police call, 7 :30 a. m. 



64 



SliVENrEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE KEGEMENT. 



First call for ,<(uard mount, 7 : 45 a. ni. 

Guard mount, 8 a. m. 

Sick call, 8 : 30 a. m. 

Sergeant's report, 9 a. m. 

Officers' drill, 9 : 30 to 10 : 30 a. m. 

Company drill, 10 : 30 to i i : 30 a. m. 

Dinner call. 12 m. 

Officers drill, i to 2 p. m. 

Company drill, 3 to 4 : 30 p. m. 

Retreat, 5 p. m. 

Tattoo, 8:55 p. m. 

Taps, 9 p. m. 



By command of 

Hexrv O. Kent, 

Colonel . 



George A. Waixwright, 

Adjittaiit . 



The rcij^iment was fortunate in having among its ofificers 
a sufficient niniiberof excellent drillmasters who had served 
a long time in this capacity, and who were not onl)- qm'te 
familiar with the 1" United States Army Tactics," then the 
recognized authQfjty, but also by experience had learned 
how to propeiw apply them in the instruction of both 
scjuad, company, battalion, and regiment. As a natural 
consequence/ the standard of militar}^ precision in drill was 
much more/speedily reached than is usual in the formation 
of a command from " raw material" and it became known 
" down in the cit)^ " that the Seventeenth men " drilled like 
veterans ! " So much had been accomplished that earl\- in 
January, after a sufficient number of experimental drills, fidl 
dress parades were announced in the following general 

order : 

Headquarters i/th Recjiment, 

Camp Ethan Coi.hv, 

January 13, 1863. 
General Order iVo. 6. 

Until otherwise ordered there will he a dress parade daily at 4 p. ni. 
The attention of comi)anv officers is directed to images 337 and 348, 
Army Regulations. 



GENERAL ORDERS. 65 

They will see that the arms and clothinj^ of the men are cleaned in 
the best manner possible and that they are furnished with white cotton 
gloves . 

Company ofificers will personally attend to the inspection of their 
companies when the first call sounds at 3 130 o'clock p. m., and they 
will be held responsible for the cleanliness and general appearance of 
their men. After forming, the companies will be equalized making the 
numl^er in each company nearly equal. 

By command of 

Hexkv O. Kent, 

' Colonel. 

George A. Waixwright, 

Adjutant . 

A perusal of these general orders coupled with the assur- 
ance that they were carried out in minutest detail will be 
convincing proof that the camp was by no means idle ; and 
that its welfare in all directions was carefully regarded. 
The "dress parades" were the event of the da)'. Many 
people came from Concord to witness them and many were 
the praises bestowed upon both ofificers and men. 

These men here had their onh" training previous to the 
Battle of Gettysburg, in which they participated as a part 
of the Second New Hampshire ; and, says Senator Proctor, 
they " were thanked by Colonel Bailey, for the disciplined 
valor the}' displayed in that decisive battle of the war, by 
a regimental order, in which great praise was bestowed 
upon Colonel Kent and his ofificers of the Seventeenth for 
the unusual skill, steadiness, and efificiency of their deport- 
ment in the field." 



CHAPTER XIII. 
The Winter of '62-63 ox Coxcord Plaixs. 

Should auld acquaintance be forgot 

And never brought to min'? 
Should auld acquaintance be forgot 

And days o' lang syne ? 

Biwns. 

Concord Plains would hardly be selected from choice as 
a desirable place of residence during the usual New Eng- 
land winter. The barracks erected by the state were of 
rough boards, hastily put together, with now and then a 
crack of considerable magnitude, that neither straw nor 
mud could render impervious to the driving snow which so 
often fell, or the violent attacks from the north wind — an 
almost daily visitor. But the Seventeenth had come to 
camp for service, and this winter experience was, as the\' 
supposed, but a prelude to the promised filling of their 
ranks, to which the}' looked forward with confidence, and 
for the accomplishment of which the)' cheerfulK' endured, 
and made the best of, surrounding circumstances. The bar- 
racks were all alike — no one had been builded better than 
another ; and it was not unusual, even in regimental head- 
quarters, for the ofificers to find in the morning upon awak- 
ening an extra coverlet of snow supplementing the woolen 
blanket, which with clean straw underneath made u]) their 
beds. It was not a long ride to the well-kept " Phenix," 
where Steb Dumas was ever glad to accommodate guests 
and surround them with e\'ery comfort. The hospitable 
" Eagle," too, was equally available. But the ofificers of 
the Seventeenth were always in quarters. W'hat was good 
enough for the men was good enough for them. It was 



WINTER ON CONCORD PLAINS. 67 

■"share and share ahke ; " and there were no requisitions 
upon the quartermaster from headquarters that were not 
equahy available for each one of the compan}- barracks. 
Doubtless all this had a good effect upon the regiment as 
a whole, and went far to uphold the strict military disci- 
pline and create the strong bond of personal interest 
among all ranks, which it was remarked existed to a 
greater degree in Camp Ethan Colby than in an\- other 
command assembled on Concord Plains. 

Special Order No. 15 is an illustration of the maxim, 
"To do in the most thorough manner the thing that is 
next to be done," which has been already quoted as char- 
acteristic of New England manhood ; which has ever been 
characteristic of Colonel Kent, and from the obser\'ance of 
which came the results foreshadowed in his regimental 
utterance The order is as follows : 

Headquarters Sevexteexth N. H. \^)luxteers, 

Camp Ethan Colhv, Coxcord, N. H.. 

January 25, 1863. 
Special Order N'o. 1 5 . 

The benefit of the service and the contentment and cheerfulness of 
the men require that their time be fully occupied. As soldiers, the 
time of the officers and men belongs to the government, and no more 
pernicious results can happen to a command than those that flow from 
idleness and consequent discontent. 

It is therefore ordered : That from and after Monday, January 26, 
1863, the following rules be observed without the slightest deviation, 
on penalty of such punishment as may be awarded l)y court martial, 
or ordered by the proper regimental authority : 

1st. All soldiers are on duty, and will perform all duty required of 
them unless they have a written certificate of disability from tlie sur- 
geon, and unless they have been on guard during the previous day, in 
which case they will be excused from all but police duty on the fore- 
noon following, and will return to regular duties at i p. m. 

2d. A detachment will be ordered to prepare at least one dozen 
birch brooms for sweeping the parade, and the officer of the day will 
see that the entire parade, company parade, and grounds about the 
officers'' quarters are swept and the refuse carried outside the lines. 



68 SEVEXTEE.VTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

3d. All wood received during the day will be piled up each morning 
in its appropriate place and the chips gathered together and burned on 
the guard fires. 

4th. The arms of the men will be thoroughly and practically in- 
spected by the company officers before going on dress parade, and any 
damage to the arms or dirt or rust upon them will merit punishment 
according to army regulations and the usages of the service. The cloth- 
ing of the men must also be neatly brushed before appearing on parade. 
All deficiencies will be reported, and, if necessary, a further inspection 
will be made by the proper officer at each dress parade. 

Sth. Company drill from 10 to 11 a. m. and from 2 to 4 p. m. will 
be observed daily on the parade when the weather will permit, and in 
the barracks, in the manual, when the. weather is bad. This may be 
varied for battalion drill at the discretion of the officer commanding 
the camp, and these drills will be attended by every man not excu.sed 
by paragraphs of this order. 

6th. Before drawing in the guard at night sentinels will be posted 
inside the doors of the barracks, and no one will be allowed to pass 
out under any pretense whatever unless accompanied by a non-commis- 
sioned officer. 

The colonel commanding joins with the officers and men in a desire 
to make the historv of the Seventeenth honorable alike to the state 
and itself. Nothing but a close attention to discipline will secure this 
end. He acknowledges the general good behavior of the men, and 
confidently expects, in the execution of this order, that he will have 
the cordial support of every good soldier of whatever grade. 

Be the future of the regiment what it may, it must never be said that 
the Seventeenth New Hampshire \'olunteers consumed any period of 
its existence in inactivity, or that the uncertainties which surrounded a 
part of its career made its members forgetful of their duties as gentle- 
men and soldiers. 

Let the record of the regiment, while it remains in the state, be 
unsurpassed for soldierly attention and progress, by that of any which 
has preceded it. Let each officer and soldier unite in the simple per- 
formance of duty, and then, whether as a regiment on the battlefield 
or as a band of citizens and friends at home, we shall be able to refer 
with pride to our common connection with the regiment. 

By order of 

Henry O. Kent, 

Col. I Till N. H. Vols. 

Geo. a. Wainwright, Adjutant. 



WINTER ON CONCORD PLAINS. 69 

There is a strong intimation in this order of a fear which 
was becoming prevalent, that after all, the executive de- 
partment might find itself unable to redeem its promises 
to furnish the number of men still required for insuring reg- 
imental muster. 

Governor Berry had announced that a draft would cer- 
tainly be enforced agreeably to the enactment of the legis- 
lature of 1862, and towns in anticipation thereof were 
busily engaged in procuring their equivalent of men. 
These men to a great extent were procured by substitute 
brokers, and to their enlistment the governor conceived a 
heart)- opposition, and, in fact, peremptorally forbade it. 

But there still remained the draft which it was decreed 
should be enforced December 24, 1862. It was post- 
poned, however, when that day came, although it was said 
the postponement was temporary, and that the drafting 
would and must of necessity take place in the very near 
future. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

The Winter of '62-63 ox Concord Plains. — 
Continued. 

" Sech orders my heart's disappointin'. 

'T was n't sech as inveig'led me in. 
To clap my mark down to the writin' 

The recruiters said glories would win. 
O ! when fellers is gathered for fightin' 

Say, why can 't the scrimmage begin ? " 

The latch string was always out at headquarters. Every 
man knew that his demands of whatever nature might there 
be made known, and if of a proper character, granted. 
The of^cers were in camp — regular and punctual in the 
observance of all police and military duty — thus setting the 
good example cheerfully followed by every private. 

The chaplain made his daily rounds, writing letters, 
receiving and delivering messages with a cheerful word and 
friendly counsel for all. Sunday services were held regu- 
larly in the quartermaster's barrack, and there were several 
other serx'ices during the week all well attended and doubt- 
less productive of much good. A fine glee club had been 
organized which gave great assistance to the chaplain as 
well as pleasure to the men. 

The selections of this celebrated club, however, were not 
at all times of a devotional character ; most of them had 
the true military spirit, and in some the devotional and 
patriotic were well combined. The " Star Spangled 
Banner " always evoked a thundering chorus ; " We '11 
Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys " exhibited undoubted indica- 
tions of an intention in that direction; and while John 



WINTER ON CONCORD PLAINS. 7 1 

Brown's body was left to moulder in the grave, his soul 
was kept marching on to a ringing accompaniment that 
was as hearty as we all hoped John Brown's future state 
would be bright and happy. There was one song by 
Private Walter Binney of Company C that made him the 
champion of the Glee Club. It was called for at every 
gathering and often repeated in response to hearty encores. 
In the "Matinees" at headquarters, to which the men in 
turn were regularly invited, Binney's " Mother Magraw " 
was never omitted. When Colonel Cross of the Fifth New 
Hampshire returned home because severely wounded at 
the Battle of Frederick-sburg, in December, 1862, he came 
to Camp Ethan Colby to meet again with old acquaint- 
ances, and while there was told of Binney's musical repute, 
especially in the rendering of " Mother Magraw." It so 
happened that this song was a favorite of the colonel's, and 
he asked that Binney be sent for to come to headquarters 
and sing it. Of course the request was complied with, and 
Binney was at his best. The following is a literal cop}' of 
the song : 

Mother Magraw and Her Son. 

(Private Binney's Song.) 

Av Teddy wad 'list, the Sarjent .said, 

A captain sure he \1 soon be made, 

Wid a big, broad-sword, and a line laced hat, 

Whoop ! Teddy, my child, wad n't ye like that? 

Musha too ri ru, — too ri ru 

Fal de du ral, laddv musha too ri ru. 

So Teddy he for a sojer wint 
And Mother Magraw, she did repint 
That they ever a child of her's should coax 
To go with them dom'd murthering folks. 
Musha too ri ru, etc. 

And Teddy he fought his way to Spain, 
And through the Ingees and back again ; 



72 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

And the hundreds and thousands tliat lie killed, 
Sure a martial volume might be filled. 
Musha too ri ru, etc. 

But Mother Alagraw sat watching on the shore 

For the space of sivin long years and more. 

'Till by and by, she saw a big ship come sailing, slap bang o"er the 

says : 
Blood and thunder, tare and oums, filla lu, clear the ways I 
JMusha too ri ru, etc. 

Then Teddy he boulted him on the strand. 
And Mother Magraw saized him by the hand : 
Sure he had not gone but a stip or two. 
" Faith Teddy, my child, this can "t lie you I "" 
Musha too ri ru, etc. 

" My son Teddy was strong and slim 
And he had a fut for every limb. 
My son Teddy was straight and tall. 
Whoop ! divil damn the fut have ye at all I " 
Musha too ri ru, etc. 

" O, was ye sick, or was ye blind 
Or f hwat the di\il made ye lave yer legs behind ? 
Or was it in walking o'er the says 
That ve wore ye're two shins off to yer knaes ? " 
Musha too ri ru, etc. 

"A martial war I now proclaim 

'Gainst the King of France and the Ouane of Spain. 
And I '11 tache them for iver to rue that time 
That they shot away the shins of a shield of mine ! " 
Muslia too ri ru, etc. 

Colonel Cro.ss complimented Binne)' when he had 
finished, and exhibited .such real pleasure, that we who 
knew him well were reminded how, at an earlier da}', when 
his own regiment was forming in camp, he whistled to his 
band the tune of " One Eyed Rile}- " and thus taught them 
to pla}' it. It became the regimental tune of the Fifth to 
which that Lrallant command afterwards marched into so 



WINTER ON CONCORD PLAINS. 



73 



many battles, where their dead " la\' nearer the enem\''s 
rifle-pits than those of an\' other regiment." It is said, 
however, that Governor Berr\- objected to the tune and 
approved neither of the whistle nor the music. 

An acquisition to headquarters was George Saunders, a 
colored bo}', who served as cook and master of ceremonies. 
Lieutenant-Colonel Long brought him from \^irginia, and 
he became by general consent the regimental "mascot." 
George ahva}'s said his 
pra}'ers in a most de\'out 
manner ever}' night and 
morning, thus setting a 
good e X a m p 1 e w h i c h 
others might well ha\e 

followed. He believed in »vi» > 

a negro tradition, that the 
time when he was most 
exposed to the assaults of 
the evil one, was during 
the interval between sa}'- 
ing "Amen" and getting 
under his blanket. And 
so it became the nightly 
custom in headquarters, 
where he slept, to watch 
for the " amen " and then 
for the one spring which 
always placed him under his previous!}' arranged blan- 
ket, — "before," as he expressed it, " dc debble could ketch 
up with him." George was a good bo}', but he had a 
white soul, and has long since gone to the home where all 
are equal. 

A fax'orite rendezvous was the quartermaster's depart- 
ment. Cummings alwa}'s had a good fire and a heartv 
welcome, but he had with him, too, that prince of good fel- 




GeORGE h^AUNDERS. 



74 



SEVEXTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 



lows, jovial companion, and true friend, Commissary Ira S. 
M. Gove. What a delightful man he was ! Always cheer- 
ful, kindh' disposed towards every one, and every one in the 

regiment was his friend. 
He did much to enli\en 
and brighten the long 

Pi .^B^^^ hours of that dreary win- 

^HB^'^^ ter, when ever}' one \\"as 

■ ^ ' waiting, and when noth- 

ing but expectation, and 
finally disa p p o i n t m e n t 
came to relieve the wait- 
ing hours. Ira Gove will 
long be associated with 
bright spots in the regi- 
ment's history, and so 
long as a veteran remains 
will be remembered with 
naught but kindness and 
affection. 

The quart e r m a s t e r ' s 
sergeant, John C. Jenness, 
was a good soldier, thoroughly acquainted with his duties, 
and faithful in discharging them. He was fertile in inven- 
tions for killing time, and man\' a pleasant entertainment 
was conceived and carried on by him which gave much 
pleasure throughout the camp. Jenness afterward became 
first lieutenant of Compan\- I, Heavy Artillery. At the 
close of the war he enlisted in the 27th Infantry, U. S. A., 
was appointed in succession second and first lieutenant, and 
was killed August 2, 1867, in an action with the Indians in 
Dakota. 

Upon another page is gi\'cn a record of the hospi- 
tal service and the surgeons in charge, but no record of 
this department is complete which fails to mention him 




Ika S. IVI. Gove. 



WINTER ON CONCORD PLAINS. 



75 



whose name is already on the Hps of every one in camp 
that winter — the faithful hospital steward, Albro L. Robin- 
son. He knew how to " minister to a mind diseased," as 
well as to the body, and 
would expel discontent 
or sorrow b}' a few kind 
words as cffectualh' as he 
served out quinine for the 
ague or blue pills to the 
patient who had partaken 
overmuch of Elder Hook's 
mince pies. He died in 
a ripe old age, loved and 
esteemed most b}- those 
who knew him best. 

The band leader, Al- 
bert F. Whipple, was a 
thorough master of his 
vocation. Of extended 
and long experience in 
his profession, he assem- 
bled and drilled in music, 
a band which reflected great credit upon himself and the 
regiment. Its members were : Leader, Albert V . Whipple, 
Lancaster; sergeant, C}'rus E. Burnham, Littleton; George 
H. Watson, Lancaster; Charles E. Mclntire, Lancaster; 
Sumner Perkins, Gorham ; George Dustin, Berlin; Jo- 
seph Dustin, Berlin ; Daniel Bean, Berlin ; Jesse Tuttle, 
Berlin ; Hcnr}^ Lovejoy, Littleton ; Sidney T. Bates, Pel- 
ham. This band afterwards served in the Second New 
Hampshire, and no corps ever left the state with a better 
band or under a more accomplished leader. 

Each company was fortunate in the selection of its non- 
commissioned officers. First Sergeant Charles E. King of 
Company A, Clarence S. Grey of Company B, and John 




Aluko L. Robinson. 



76 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

G. Derby of Company C, were all good soldiers, intelligent 
orderlies, and faithfully performed their duties. Then there 
were Sergeants Ezra B. Bennett, Charles A. Larkin, Charles 
A. Grant, William L. Rowell, George Ham, Christopher 
W. Harrold, Samuel P. Holt, Hale Chadwick, and a host 
of others. How man\' shoulder straps would have been 
won by these men, had promises been kept and chance 
for promotion been given them. 

The sutler, Frank Smith, knew his business as well as 
the commander-in-chief knew his duties. He was consid- 
erate of " the bo\-s," catered to their wants, was liberal in 
supplying their needs, and came out of the army with a 
good reputation and no scratches, excepting such as were 
marked on the boards of his own shop to the debit of an 
occasional delinquent soldier. He has since been a 
respected and prosperous citizen in Lancaster, and has 
serv^ed his town in local ofifices and in the legislature. 

I^ut Elder Hook's " refreshment bureau" on the brow of 
the hill was a strong rival for fa\-or. The Elder was what 
the boys called "hot advent." He was always ready to 
"exhort" at their request, and, writes one, "while he was 
exhorting, some of them would sneak around and steal his 
pies." We shall hear more of the Elder later on. 

And so the winter wore away ; but the recruits promised 
had not reported for dut\', and the draft ordered had been 
again postponed, and then, as reported, finally abandoned ! 

There was one unanimous determination in the regiment: 
in spite of all obstacles, to get to the front in some wa\- 
and by some means. It was not beliexxxl possible that the 
government would discourage such a determination ; but 
that when the facts were fully presented, the wa\- would be 
found, and the means provided. Action in this direction was 
accordingly commenced, but as this too would consume time, 
it was decided to save expense meanwhile, that the regiment 
should be furloughcd pending the result of further efforts. 



CHAPTER XV. 

FuRL()U(;nEi). 

" O Sergeant, it's waiting that varies 
The misery that hangs on me so !"' 

December 24, 1862, had been assigned as the da\' upon 
which the order for drafting would be enforced, but it was 
again postponed until the 8th of January, 1863. There 
was to be no further delay, howe\'er; this was to be the 
final da}' for which the final order would be issued, and on 
which there would "positively be no postponement." But 
it was argued so strongl}- against the draft that it would 
result in ill feeling, and endanger the peace of communities, 
and that further action on the part of the board would here- 
after be declared illegal, the go\'ernor changed his mind 
and gave out ofificially, December 3 i , that the draft would 
not take place. During Januar\- other plans for filling the 
regiment occupied the close attention of the governor and 
officers in camp, but as none of these could be perfected 
before early spring. Colonel Kent suggested that to sa\-e 
expense the regiment be furloughed imtil April i. The 
suggestion was acted upon, as shown in the following exe- 
cutive order : 

State of New HAxn'Sun^E, 

Adjutaxt-Gexerai/s Office, 
CoxcoRD, February 4, 1863. 
Special Order No. i . 

The Seventeenth Regiment, New Hampshire \'ohmtecrs, now en- 
camped at Camp Ethan Colby near this city, is hereby furloughed until 
Wednesday, April i, 1863, unles.s sooner ordered into camp by the 
competent authority 



78 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

Colonel Henry O. Kent, commanding said regiment, is hereby 
charged with carrying out tliis order, and will issue such regulations as 
he may receive from this department, or may deem necessary and 
proper for the government of its officers and men, and for the care of 
the public property during such time of furlough. 

By order of His Excellency, 

Nathaniel S. Berry, 
Governor and Commander-in-Chief, 
Anthoxv Colby, Adjutant- General. 

Upon receipt of this announcement, the following general 
order was issued : 

Headquarters 17TH N. H. Volunteers, 

Q.\y\v Ethan Colby, Feb. 5, 1863. 
General Order N'o. 8. 

In compliance with the foregoing order of His Excellency, the Com- 
mander-in-Chief, it is hereby ordered as follows : 

I. After Monday, February 9, and until further orders, the head- 
quarters of the regiment will be at Lancaster. 

II. Leaves of absence to officers will be prepared at these head- 
quarters, and furloughs prepared by the commanders of companies for 
all men on the rolls of the companies (not reported as deserters) from 
February 9, 1863, to April i, 1863, unless sooner ordered to camp. 
Furloughs will be approved at these headquarters. 

III. During said time of furlough the headquarters of Company A 
will be at Lancaster ; of Company B, at Portsmouth : and of Com- 
pany C, at Seabrook. 

IV. All officers will report in person or by letter Monday of each 
week to the colonel commanding. Company officers at the same time 
will report the condition of their companies. 

\ . Privates will report to the non-commissioned officer designated 
by their captain, and the non-commissioned officers to the commanding 
officer of their company on Saturday of each week, who will report (as 
in Paragraph IV) to the colonel commanding. 

\'I. During the time of furlough, the band will, in like manner, 
report to Mr. Whipple at Lancaster. 

VII. The surgeon will properly pack all hosintal stores and see tliat 
thev are safely stored away. 

\1I1. Company officers may return to the (|uartermaster all ordnance 
and stores (not necessarily retained by the men), who will give receipts 
for them, and issue again on the return of the companies. 



FURLOUGHED. 79 

IX. The quartermaster will see that the barracks are put in good 
order, and closed, and that all public property is gathered together 
and safely stored for future use. 

X. Four watchmen will be detailed b}- special order to guard both 
sets of barracks, and will receive extra pay for such dutv. They will 
be under the control and direction of the quartermaster, or anv other 
officer designated. 

The reputation of the regiment remains in the care of the men, while 
absent, the same as here in camp. It is hoped that each and every 
man will do his duty toward himself and the regiment, and in everv 
way promote its welfare and increase its members by enlisting good 
men. Should the regiment be tilled, those who have been faithful and 
conducted themselves as soldiers will not be forgotten. Their conduct 
will be noticed by the colonel commanding, who is disposed to do all 
he can for their promotion. 

By order, 

Hexrv O. Kk.\t, 

Colonel ijf/i N. H. r. 
George A. Waixwright, Adjuia)it. 

Governor Berr}^ was sanguine that upon its return in 
April the regiment would be speedih- filled, and gave 
assurances that it should be done. Decisive measures 
were to be taken which would result in putting the com- 
mand in active service. 

It was with mixed feelings of happiness and disappoint- 
ment that the men broke camp and started for their north- 
ern homes at a time when the}- had hoped to be well at 
the front doing manh' dut\' in the service of their country. 
The\- were glad of an opportunity to revisit once more 
their families and friends, but disappointed and discouraged 
that the "exigencies of the service" compelled them to 
still act the part of non-resistants as well as non-combat- 
ants, and that so man}' obstacles were met with in their 
faithful and persistent endeavors to do their dut>- like men, 
and acquit themselves as man\- of them afterwards did, 
like heroes. 

But the governor's assurances gave some comfort; the 
anticipated home-goings were looked forward to with pleas- 



8o SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

lire ; and, althoui^h the third district had been depleted of 
its mihtia competent for service, it was hoped by individual 
effort some volunteers mi<^ht nevertheless be obtained to 
aid in the governor's plan of filling the ranks and complet- 
ing the organization. 

During the period covered by the furlough, officers and 
men of the different companies met together in their respec- 
tive towns to forward regimental interests and enjoy social 
intercourse. With the same end in view a regimental levee 
was held in Lancaster, to which all were in\ited and man}' 
came. The exercises were closed by a ball held in the 
Lancaster House, Tuesday evening, March 24, The floor 
managers were Captain Jared L Williams, Lieutenant Ira 
S. M. Gove, and Frank Smith. Chief Musician Albert F. 
Whipple directed the music, assisted by a detail from the 
regimental band. At this gathering all necessary arrange- 
ments were made to ensure a prompt return to camp on 
April I, and the proper orders were issued. 



CHAPTER XVI. 
Return to Camp Ethan Colby. 

In the cause of right engaged 

Wrongs injurious to redress, 
Honor's war we strongly waged 

But the Heavens denied success. 

Bu>-)ts. 

April 1st, 1863, the regiment reported in camp for duty. 
All officers of the field, staff and line were present, and 
when the company rolls were called for the first time 
there were but five absentees. 

At this time Governor Berry was in Washington, and on 
his return a few days later he informed Colonel Kent that 
the secretary of war had ordered the consolidation of the 
Seventeenth with the Second Regiment. This news, en- 
tirely unexpected after the pledges given, came like a thun- 
derbolt to both officers and men. Bearing in mind the 
constant efforts of the regiment to make for itself a record 
in the field ; the agreement supposed to be binding, under 
which all men enlisted in the Third District were to be 
mustered into this command ; the filling of the regiment 
under this agreement; the withdrawal of nearly seven hun- 
dred men to make good deficient quotas in towns of the 
First and Second districts which were to haxe made the 
complement of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth regiments ; the 
departure of these regiments with full ranks, possible only 
by the superior efforts and zeal of the Seventeenth in being 
first to fill its command from which the nearly seven hun- 
dred volunteers were taken ; the subsequent promises and 

assurances of the executive department that the regiment 
6 



82 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

should be cared for and its organization completed, and the 
termination of all hopes by the order now promulgated, it 
is no wonder that the men were defiant — determined b}- all 
peaceable means to resist enforcement of the order. These 
men had enlisted for the Seventeenth Regiment, and were 
so mustered. Many were actuated by personal regard for 
their officers in joining the service ; it was indeed a harsh 
measure that changed all this and was to take them from 
the command to which they had sworn allegiance and in 
which were centered so man}' brilliant hopes and fraternal 
associations. 

Governor Berry said of this action : 

" I visited Washington and laid the case before Secretary Cameron, 
being very anxious to meet the views of Colonel Kent and his com- 
mand and have the regiment placed on duty. After many delays and 
disappointments, it was decided to consolidate the Seventeenth Regi- 
ment with the Second New Hampshire Infantry, which was to be 
ordered home for that purpose. I well remember communicating this 
decision to Colonel Kent and the regret and disappointment it occa- 
sioned to both of us." 

In Secretar)' Proctor's report of the Committee on Mili- 
tary Affairs he states : 

'• The Seventeenth New Hampshire Volunteers was borne upon the 
rolls as a regiment in the service of the United States between the 
dates above specified [Oct. 23, 1862-ApriI 16. 1863] under the com- 
mand of Colonel Kent during which time his orders and requisitions 
in the enlistment, equipment, organization, sustenance, and disci- 
pline of the regiment in that capacity were recognized and duly hon- 
ored by the national government. He was deiM-ived of his command 
without fault of his own, against !iis will, and was wronged out of his 
chance for honorable distinction by reason of his self-sacrificing devo- 
tion to the public good, and this after the country had received the 
great benefit of his exertions preparatory to the opportunity in which he 
had a right to expect to perform such ser\-ice in the field as b}- educa- 
tion, ability, and high character he was eminently cai)al)le of rendering."" 

I'Larnest efforts b}' the field and line officers were made 



KETURX TO CAMP ETHAN COLBY. 83 

through memorials to members of congress, to induce the 
war department to rescind the order for consoHdation and 
convert the regiment into batteries of artillery, send it out 
as a battalion, or place it on detached service, that the 
ofhcers and men might together serve out their enlistment 
at the front; but none of these requests were granted, and 
it onh' remained to submit to the ine\itable and accept the 
stern realities from which there was no escape. 

While these matters were pending a meeting of the 
sergeants of the companies was held to discuss the 
situation. It was decided to send a committee to " memo- 
rialize the governor and council," in a statement prepared 
from their own standpoint and embod}'ing their ideas 
of what was right and proper. Sergeants Derby, 
Larkin, King, and Grey were on this committee. It 
has never been made officiall}' known how this enter- 
prise resulted. There is no record of the conference 
in the minutes of council sessions, and Go\'ernor Berr}' was 
never heard to speak of it. But a rumor which appeared 
to be well authenticated soon spread that Sergeant Larkin 
was the orator; that his prelude "Your exxellenc}- and 
gentlemen of the council" was received with some favor; 
that the "memorializing" was not quite so successful; but 
that in the midst of his statement of facts, prepared b)^ the 
combined wisdom of the sergeants. Governor Berry arose 
and in a brief but emphatic address, during which his right 
hand clasped the collar of Sergeant Larkin's coat, hinted so 
unmistakably that the committee would do well to retire 
without an instant's dela}', they all bolted, and stopped not 
by the wayside — not even at Elder Hook's, until they were 
once more safely inside the guard lines of Camp Ethan 
Colb}'. Rumors of this delegation and its object were 
already afloat. Its heroic action and successful retreat were 
duly applauded and tlie committee became known as the 
*' annex of the governor's council." 



84 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 
The following is Governor Berry's special order : 

State of New Hampshire, 

Adjutant General's Office, 

Concord, April 16, 1863. 
Special Order, No. 2. 

The following order has been received by the governor and com- 
mander-in-chief from the war department : 

War Department, 
Washington City, April i, 1863. 
To His Excellency , N. S. Berry, Governor of New Hampsliire, VI Wash- 
ington, D. C. : 

Sir : — The secretary of war directs that the Second and Seventeenth 
Regiments of New Hampshire Volunteers be consolidated under your 
direction, and that supernumerary officers be mustered out of service ; 
the Second Regiment to retain its organization. The new organiza- 
tion will conform to that prescribed by law for volunteer forces. 
I have the honor to be very respectfully sir. 

Your obedient servant, 

Ed. AI. Canby, 

Brig. Geti'l and A. A. G. 

In accordance with the provisions of the foregoing order and by vir- 
tue of the authority in me vested by its provisions, it is hereby ordered, 

1st. The consolidation shall be effected this day ; and prior thereto 
all commissioned officers of the Seventeenth Regiment, and all war- 
rant officers of the same, of whatever grade, commissioned l)y the col- 
onel of said regiment, are to be mustered out of service. 

2nd. It is understood that the band of the Seventeenth Regiment is 
to serve for the unexpired term of its enlistment, as the regimental 
band of the Second Regiment : and that the commissioned and non- 
commissioned officers of the Seventeenth Regiment mustered out, and 
the men of the Seventeenth Regiment turned over to the Second are to 
be paid at the date of transfer, or as soon thereafter as a paymaster 
can be j^rocured. 

3d. The men of the Seventeenth Regiment not mustered out are to 
be turned over by Colonel Henry O. Kent, commanding said regiment 
to the command of Lieut. Col. Edward L. Bailey, commanding the 
Second Regiment, to serve out the unexpired period of their enlist- 
ment. 

4th. Col. Henry O. Kent is charged with the execution of the de- 
tails of this order on the part of the Seventeenth Regiment, and Lieut. 



RETURN TO CAMP ETHAN COLBY. 85 

Col. Edward L. Dailey, commandini^, on the jxart of the Second Regi- 
ment. 

Capt. Charles Holmes, U.S. mustering ofificer, will muster out and 
discharge by arrangement with Colonel Kent, the commissioned and 
non-commissioned officers designated in this order. 

In carrying into effect this order the governor regrets the necessity 
that disbands the Seventeenth Regiment, the more, that during its long 
and uncertain delay in camp, its conduct has been such as to reflect 
credit upon its officers and men. The discipline, neatness, and general 
behaviour of its members, fully warranting the belief of its efficiency, 
could its ranks have been filled. In joining the Second Regiment, how- 
ever, its members will become affiliated in one of the best regiments of 
the service. 

By order of His Excellency, 

Nathaniel S. Berry, 
Governor and CoiiunaJider-in-chief. 
Anthony Colby. 
Adjutant- General. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Consolidated with the Second New Hampshire. 

" It's a blessed sort of feeling 
Whether you live or die 
To know you 've helped your country 
And fought right loyally." 

In accordance with General Canby's instructions, 
enforced by Governor Berry, the consoHdation was effected 
April 1 6th and 17th and the following additional order 
issued : 

Headquarters 17TH N. H. Volunteers, 

Concord, April i6th, 1863. 
General Order No. 1 1 . 

In compliance with an order from his excellency, the commander-in- 
chief, it i.s hereby ordered as follows : 

I. All camp and garrison equipage, and all arms or any public prop- 
erty of whatever description, shall be turned over to the C]uartermaster. 
who will receipt for them. The quartermaster will compare the invoice 
of articles delivered, with the invoice of articles received, accounting 
for the difference as accounted for on the company returns. Articles 
missing from his original invoice will be accounted for in a satisfactory 
manner. 

II. The .surgeon will take an invoice of all hospital stores originally 
received, and an invoice of stores on hand, turning over with the 
invoice of stores e.xpended the hospital stores on hand to Captain 
Charles S. Holmes, U. S. A., acting c|uartermaster, who will give 
receipts for them. 

III. Commanders of companies will, at the ])roper time, transfer all 
rolls, etc., necessary for the guidance of the officers to whom the men 
are transferred, in order that each and every man may have justice done 
him. Commanders of companies shall, after the muster out of non- 



CONSOLIDATED WITH THE SECOND. 87 

commissioned officers, prepare a roll of men remaining, transferred to 
the Second Regiment, and deliver the same to these headquarters. 

By order, 

Henkv O. Kkxt, 
Colonel Co»!iiiaiidiiii^ i jth iV. H. V. 
Geo. a. Waix\vrk;ht, 

Adjitiaut . 

The last dress parade of the Seventeenth New Hamp- 
shire Infantry was held on the i6th of April, 1863, and it 
was a sad and affecting occasion. " It made me cry," said 
a lieutenant afterwards, and indeed there were few dry eyes 
either in the ranks or among the officers. The general 
orders were read by the adjutant. The men so designated 
were honorably discharged and all others transferred to the 
Second Regiment. Then came the final Icavetaking between 
the officers, their men, and each other, and all was over! 

The final entry in the regimental order book should be 
preserved. It is as follows: 

Headquarters 17TH N. H. Vols. 
Camp Ethan Colbv, Coxcord, N. H. 

April 17th, 1863. 
In obedience to order.s from the war department, bearing date April i, 
1863, as promulgated by the governor of New Hampshire, recorded on 
pages 20 and 21 of this book, and of General Order No. 11 ofthe.se 
headquarters of April i6th, 1863, recorded on page ig of this book: 
The consolidation of this regiment with the Second Regiment N. H. 
Volunteers was elTected April i6th and 17th. 

The commissioned and non-commissioned officers and all warrant 
officers of the Seventeenth Regiment were mustered out of the service 
April i6th (for non-commissioned and warrant officers, and April 17th 
for commissioned officers), by Captain Charles Holmes, U. S. Muster- 
ing Officer. 

The enlisted men were turned over by me, on parade, to Colonel 
Edward L. ISailey, commanding the Second N. H. Volunteers, and 
transfer rolls were prepared on the i6th clay of April, 1863. 

For a record of these officers and men reference is made to the 
Regimental Descriptive Iiook. 

Hexrv O. Kext, 
Colonel 1 7/// Regt. N. H. Vols. 



88 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGLMENT. 

A record of the officers mustered out will be found in 
Adjutant-General's Report, Vol. i for 1865, under title 
" Seventeenth Regiment," and a record of the enlisted men 
transferred will be found in Adjutant-General's Report, 
Vol. I for 1866, under title, " Second Regiment." 

It is proper to repeat here in substance a statement al- 
ready made in the earlier part of this history, that His Ex- 
cellency, Governor Berry, and the gentlemen who composed 
his council acted in ever}' emergency as it arose from an 
honest sense of duty, and should not be held responsible 
for the existence of those facts which overruled and crusheci 
the regiment. They exhibited a hearty interest in the 
welfare of the command and deeply regretted the necessity 
for consolidation. Manifestations of sympathy were general 
among state officials and prominent citizens of Concord ; 
and it was a common remark that no other regiment had 
acquitted itself so well in camp, or deserved so largely the 
respect of the people, for its soldierly behaviour under 
most adverse circumstances. 

Of the immediate causes which brought about the disin- 
tegration of one of the best regiments organized during the 
war, it would be useless to speculate. The facts are as we 
have stated them, — the result was deplorable ; but further 
discussion would only prove the truth of Pyrrho's maxim: 

" And no man knows distinct]}- anything 
And no man ever will." 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

The Adjutant-General's Official Report Con- 
cerning THE Seventeenth Regiment. 

'Tis meet that I should tell you now 
How fairly armed and ordered how 
Were men in ranks and men enow 
Had they been mustered. 

AJapifd- 

Indissolubl)' connected with the histor)- of the regiment 
are the official doctiments concerning it and the conchi- 
sions drawn from them. It .seems proper, therefore, to 
print in this place the report of Adjutant-General Natt 
Head, as made to the governor and council, in the official 
volume issued for the }-car 1866. It is as follows: 

" .SEVENTEENTH INFANTRV. 

"The circumstances attending this regiment up to the 
time of its consolidation with the Second Infantrx', were 
such as to make a brief statement in this place concerning 
it, compiled from official records an act of the simplest 
justice to its commander. Colonel Hcnr\' O. Kent, his offi- 
cers, and the enlisted men. 

"Although the Seventeenth was neither filled nor ordered 
to the front, the officers and men upon its rolls were com- 
missioned, and enlisted in full expectation of immediate 
service, and as well as those at the front evinced their 
patriotism by responding to the call of the countr)' for 
volunteers. 

"In the summer or early autumn of 1862 a call was 
received by the governor for men sufficient to fill three 
regiments of infantr)\ Upon consultation it was deter- 
mined to apportion this levy between the three congres- 



90 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

sional districts of the state; the Fifteenth Regiment to 
correspond to the First District; the Sixteenth Regiment to 
the Second District ; and the Seventeenth Regiment to the 
Third District. The field ofificers of the respective com- 
mands were immediately thereafter commissioned and 
announced accordingl}-. 

"The records of this office show that there were enlisted 
and mustered into the Seventeenth, and enlisted in the 
territory originally assigned to it, 791 men; the unfilled 
quotas in the Third District, at the time of the consolidation 
of the Seventeenth and Second, with the number 791, more 
than reaching the minimum number of men required by 
the regulations for a complete regimental organization. 

"While enlistments were progressing, orders were received 
urging forward the new levies, and it was deemed advisable 
by the state executive authorities to fill the regiments in 
their numerical order as fast as men were enlisted. 

"Accordingly, those who had volunteered with prompt- 
ness in the Third District were ordered into the Fifteenth 
and Sixteenth Regiments consecutively, leaving for the Sev- 
enteenth the dilatory levies from the other districts. On 
the 19th of November, 1862, the regiment was ordered 
into camp at Concord. Nearly a full compan)' abo\'e the 
required quota of the town had volunteered for it in Lan- 
caster, the residence of the regimental commander and of 
the line officers of Company A ; and it was with reason 
expected by the regimental ofificers that the impending 
draft would soon be resorted to, to fill the ranks. 

"A regimental organization was at once perfected, and 
the drill, discipline and instruction of the command com- 
menced, and scrupulously adhered to. In December, the 
governor, upon consultation with the state board of drafting 
commissioners, decided to postpone the state draft; aiul 
orders were issued from the same source to reject all sub- 
stitutes applying for enlistment on the unfilled quotas. 



ADJUTANT-GEiVEKAL HEAD'S REPORT. 91 

"Very few volunteers appeared; and on February 9, 
1863, officers and men were furlou^j^hed until the first of 
the succeeding April, at which time the command again 
reported in camp, cheered by the official assurance, made 
originally at the time of granting the furloughs, that the 
regiment would be at once thereafter filled, in order to 
participate in the spring and summer campaigns of 1863. 

"About this time Governor Berr\' was instructed by the 
secretary of war to effect the consolidation of the Seven- 
teenth and Second, under such regulations as he might 
prescribe. On the sixteenth of the same month this order 
was carried into effect ; the officers and non-commissioned 
officers of the Seventeenth mustered out, and the enlisted 
men transferred 

"The order effecting this expressed in emphatic terms 
the approbation of the civil and military authorities of the 
soldierly deportment of the regiment during its probation, 
and the press was equally explicit in remarking upon the 
excellent discipline and deportment that had uniformly 
characterized the command. 

"The men transferred to the Second proved excellent 
soldiers, behaving like veterans at Gett}-sburg, and eliciting 
a special order of commendation from the colonel of that 
regiment at the expiration of their time of service. 

"The commissioned officers of the Seventeenth used all 
honorable exertions to fill the ranks, and to be permitted 
to remain with the men, some of them declining other 
positions, when the fate of the regiment was involved in 
doubt, in order to share its fortunes. Various memorials 
were also presented b}^ them, praying that the regiment 
might be assigned, in its then state, to special duty. 

" When the consolidation was effected, it had long been a 
matter of official certainty that the failure in filling and for- 
warding the Se\'enteenth, was in no degree attributable to 
its officers, but rather that thc\- had used every exertion to 



SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 



that end ; men in sufificicnt number having been actually 
enlisted, who in accordance with the presumed exigencies 
of the service, had been given to other commands. 

" Every indication observable, relative to discipline, drill, 
and instruction, proved the fitness of the officers of the 
Seventeenth for duty; and the excellence of the men, 
together with their attachment to their original ofificers and 
organization, added to the regrets that followed the con- 
solidation. 

" In the honorable record of the New Hampshire reg- 
iments, the officers and men of the Seventeenth New 

Hampshire Infantry should 
have honorable mention, 
as citizens who performed 
their entire duty under dis- 
couraging circumstanc e s , 
with stead}' promptitude 
and consistent patriotism." 

No man had been more 
familiar with the practical 
workings and ofificial ac- 
tions of the state depart- 
ments in connection with 
the various infantr}- regi- 
ments than Adjutant-Gen- 
eral Head. He was on the 
ground, had a keen per- 
ception and comprehen- 
sive opinion of affairs as 

they arose; and with the records in his office to guide him 

wrote this report from an executi\e and judicial standpoint. 

It is a faithful telling of the stor\' b}' an impartial witness. 

and an upright man. General Head was afterwards elected 

(jovernor of the state. 




Natt Hkad. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

Governor Berry's Story of the Reoiment. 

For none who knew him need be told 
A warmer heart death ne 'er made cold. 

Burns. 

Governor Berry was at all times anxious that justice 
should be accorded to the regiment, and never ceased to 
regret his own inability to complete its organization and 
send it to the front. When, in later years, it seemed neces- 
sary, in order to ensure for all time the i)roper status of 
the regiment, that an enabling act should be passed by 
congress, he cheerfully, and with many expressions of good 
will accompanying it, furnished the following statement to 
be used for that purpose. Although occasional extracts 
from this statement appear in the preceding pages, it seems 
best to reproduce it here in its entirety, that it may become 
a part of the historical record, in the completed form in 
which it was first prepared by the ex-governor: 

To the Congress of the United States : 

I, Nathaniel S. Berry, now of Bristol, in the county of Grafton and 
state of New Hampshire, make this statement for use by Henry O. 
Kent of Lancaster, in said state, in the matter of Senate bill No. 1 129, 
now pending, for the recognition of Henry O. Kent as colonel of the 
Seventeenth New Hampshire Volunteers. 

I was elected governor of the state of New Hampshire in March, 
A. D., 1861, and was inaugurated in June following. I was again elected 
in 1862, and served as governor until June, 1863. During this period 
the Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, 
Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth, Sixteenth, Sev- 
enteenth, and Eighteenth Infantry Regiments were enlisted for the war. 
Only the Heavy Artillery was organized after my term expired, and 



94 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

only two regiments, the First and Second Infantry, were raised before 
I took office as governor. 

When I was inaugurated governor, Henry O. Kent, whom I had for 
some years previously well known, was acting under a commission of 
my predecessor, Governor Ichabod Goodwin, as assistant adjutant- 
general, with the rank of colonel, at Portsmouth, N. \l., where the 
Second New Hampshire Infantry was then in camp, and where state 
troops were holding Fort Constitution under authority of Major-General 
John E. Wool, United States Army. 

Colonel Kent had been a cadet, and was a graduate of a military 
academy (Norwich University), and had been under orders of the gov- 
ernor and adjutant-general in enlisting and organizing the earlier troops 
from the state from the date of hostilities. He was continued in this 
duty by me during the recruiting of 1861. I understood that his ser- 
vices at the front were at all times at the disposal of the state, when- 
ever I might call for them. 

In 1862 he was elected to the legislature from Lancaster, and was 
chairman of the Military Committee of the House, shaping the legisla- 
tion of that year, relative to the volunteers and militia. 

In the autumn of 1862, President Lincoln issued a call for 300,000 
volunteers, the quota of New Hampshire being three regiments. The 
governor and executive council, in determining how this quota should 
be raised, consulted sundry of the public and military men of the state; 
among these, from his familiarity with the slate, his prior connection 
with the service, and his position in the legislature, was Colonel Kent. 

He suggested that the three regiments called for be assigned respect- 
ively to the three Congressional districts of the state as then consti- 
tuted. This plan was adopted, and it was decided to organize the 
Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Infantry regiments, in the First, 
Second, and Third Congressional districts ; to appoint their field offi- 
cers and authorize them to recruit for their respective commands. 

John W. Kingman was appointed colonel of the Fifteenth Regiment, 
James Pike, of the Sixteenth Regiment, and Henry O. Kent, of the 
Seventeenth Regiment, and said regiments were ordered into camp at 
Concord, consecutively. 

Colonel Kent's commission as colonel was dated October 23, 1S62. 
He immediately set about the work assigned him, and the records of 
the adjutant-general's office show that 791 men volunteered in the 
Third Congressional District. 

The Fifteenth and Sixteenth regiments being in camp, but not full, 
by reason of the failure of some towns in the First and Second Con- 



GOVERNOR BERRY'S STORY OF THE REGIMENT. 95 

gressional Districts to fill their quotas, and the War Department urging 
haste in iorwarding regiments, men and companies from the Third 
Congressional District were ordered into these regiments, the intention 
being to supply their places in the Seventeenth by filling these quotas 
for that regiment at a later period. 

As a result of this policy, the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Regiments were 
sent to the front early in November, 1862. The Seventeenth Regiment 
was ordered into tlie barracks vacated by them during the same month. 

It became difficult to secure enlistments to fill these laggard quotas, 
and thus the Seventeenth never had men enough to r/iiisie?' its colonel. 
A full regimental organization was, however, effected by Colonel Kent 
about the middle of November, 1862, and drill, discipline, and instruc- 
tion were continued by him. 

He was fully recognized as colonel, both by the state and national 
authorities, his requisitions for subsistence, arms, medical supplies, 
quarters, etc., always being fully recognized, both at Concord and 
Washington. He was in direct command of his men and remained in 
camp with them continuously. 

Unable, as the governor and his executive council viewed the situ- 
ation, to fill the Seventeenth Regiment by volunteers, and a state 
draft having been abandoned, in February I directed that it be fur- 
loughed until April. I visited Washington and laid the case before 
Secretary Cameron, being very anxious to meet the views of Colonel 
Kent and his command and have the regiment placed on duty. After 
many delays and disappointments, it was decided to consolidate the 
Seventeenth Regiment with the Second New Hampshire Infantry, which 
was to be ordered home for that purpose. I well remember communi- 
cating this decision to Colonel Kent, and the regret and disappointment 
it occasioned to both of us. 

In this matter of consolidation Colonel Kent was recognized through- 
out as colonel in command of a regiment. The secretary of war so 
understood it, and in the general orders issued by me, under his direc- 
tions, to complete his purpose, the United States mustering officer was 
directed to proceed in certain matters of detail according to the instruc- 
tions he should receive from Col. Henry O. Kent, commanding tlie 
Seventeenth Regiment New Hampshire Infantry Volunteers. 

The Second New Hampshire Infantry, Lieut. Col. Edward L. Bailey 
commanding, arrived in Concord on furlough. The muster-out and 
transfer rolls were made, and on the i6th day of April, 1863, Colonel 
Kent paraded his regiment and turned the men over to Lieutenant- 
Colonel Bailey, by whom they were incorporated in the Second New 
Hampshire Volunteers. 



g6 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

Colonel Kent was paid by the State of New Hampshire as of his 
grade of colonel, and the United States reimbursed the state for such 
expenditure. 

From the time of his commission, October 23, 1862, until his dis- 
charge under War Department order in April, 1863, by reason of the 
consolidation of the regiments, Colonel Kent served as colonel in the 
actual work of enlisting, commanding, instructing, and disciplining his 
men. No question was raised during this time as to his status as 
colonel. He did his full duty honorably and well, and made strenuous 
exertions that his regiment might be filled and go to the front. His 
men were so well disciplined by him that at the close of the Gett3'sburg 
campaign they were thanked in special orders by Colonel Bailey of the 
Second, with special reference by him to Colonel Kent, for their sol- 
dierly qualities and bravery. 

Colonel Kent was commissioned to raise a regiment ; he did raise a 
regiment. Many of his men by the exigencies of the times were taken 
from him, but he organized and commanded as a regiment what were 
left him. If any action is needed to place beyond question his rank 
and status, I have no hesitation in saying that it will only be an act of 
justice long delayed to perfect such action. 

Nathaniel S. Berry. 

February 16, 1892. 



CHAPTER XX. 
Recognition by Congress. 

We live in deeds, not years, in thouglits, not breaths; 

In feelings, not in figures on a dial. 
We should count time by heart throbs. He most lives 

Who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best. 

Bailey. 

The enabling act referred to in the previous chapter was 
for the purpose of placing upon record in the war depart- 
ment as a distinct and legally constituted integral part of 
the troops in the War of the Rebellion, the Seventeenth New 
Hampshire Infantry. Such action became necessary — not 
from any doubt as to the regiment's position — for that never 
existed — but owing to imperfect records and careless trans- 
mission of rolls and other evidence from one department to 
another. The bill received careful examination, and was 
favorably reported in each branch of congress. 

Notwithstanding the annoyance to the reader of too 
much repetition, it is believed the object of this work will 
be better attained by giving here in full the report on the 
bill of Senator Proctor of Vermont, ex-secretary of war, and 
chairman of the committee on military affairs. 

It should be stated, however, in connection therewith, 
that the suggestion in the second paragraph, " to prevent 
any pay or allowance, etc.," originated with Colonel Kent 
himself and not with the committee. His sole object was 
to obtain a proper recognition for the regiment and its 
ofificers. The report is as follows : 



98 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

Fifty-second Congress, First Session. 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES. 

Mr. Proctor, from the committee on military affairs, submitted the 
tollowing report : 

The committee on military affaiis, to whom was referred the bill (S. 
1 129) for the relief of Henry O. Kent, has had the same under consid- 
eration and submit the following favoral;le report : 

The committee recommend that the bill be amended so as to pre- 
vent Colonel Kent from receiving any pay or allowance which might be 
due him by reason of the passage of this bill, and when so amended 
the committee recommend that the bill pass. 

Under the call of President Lincoln, dated Aug. 4, 1862, for 300,000 
volunteers the State of New Hampshire was required to organize three 
regiments, one in each of the Congressional districts of the state, and 
field officers were appointed by the governor of the state for each regi- 
ment, with the understanding that the recruits enlisted in the three 
districts were to belong to the Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth 
Regiments of New Hampshire Volunteers respectively. On the 23d 
day of October, A. D. 1862, Henry O. Kent, of Lancaster, in the 
Third Congressional district, was by the governor duly appointed and 
commissioned colonel of the Seventeenth Regiment, and proceeded to 
raise troops and to organize the regiment from that district. Under 
this arrangement there were enlisted, as shown by the report of the 
adjutant-general of the state, 791 men from the Third district, who 
belonged, by the assignment referred to, in Colonel Kent's command. 
The Fifteenth and Sixteenth regiments, assigned to the First and Sec- 
ond districts, not being filled by reason of the failure of some of the 
towns to raise their quotas, and there being great pressure for troops in 
the field, made by the war department upon the state authorities, it was 
determined by the latter to transfer the men raised in the Third dis- 
trict for Colonel Kent's regiment to the Fifteenth and Sixteenth, 
thereby completing those regiments and hurrying them to the front. 
This was accordingly done, leaving Colonel Kent with but a small pro- 
portion of his men. 

The Fifteenth and Sixteenth left the state in the month of November, 
1862. Colonel Kent's regimental organization occupied the camp 
vacated by the Fifteenth and continued there under his command from 
the 19th day of November, 1862, until the i6th day of April, 1863, 
excepting while a portion of the men were furloughed to save expense. 
Great exertions were made to fill the regiment by Colonel Kent, who 



RECOGNITIOX BY CONGRESS. 99 

was an able, accomplished, and popular officer ; but owing to the 
extreme depletion of the arms-bearing population of the state and the 
necessity of filling the ranks of the older regiments, which was contin- 
ually being done largely as the result of Colonel Kent's efforts during 
the same period, it was found to be impossible to thus complete his reg- 
iment. 

Thereupon various efforts were made to obtain service for the regi- 
mental organization as it stood, but it was finally determined, on full 
consultation with the president and Secretary Cameron, that it would 
be better to transfer the Seventeenth bodily into the ranks of the Sec- 
ond New Hampshire Volunteers ; and this was accordingly done, with 
the exception of the commissioned and non-commissioned officers, who 
were mustered out under an existing general order. They served out 
their unexpired time as soldiers of the Seventeenth New Hampshire 
Volunteers, under the command of the officers and as a part of the Sec- 
ond Regiment. As such they participated in the Battle of Gettysburg, 
and were thanked by Colonel Bailey, of the Second New Hampshire 
Volunteers, for the disciplined valor they displayed in that decisive 
battle of the war by a regimental order, in which great praise was be- 
stowed upon Colonel Kent and his officers of the Seventeenth for the 
unusual skill, steadiness, and efficiency of their deportment in the field. 
Several members of the regiment are pensioned as soldiers of the Sev- 
enteenth New Hampshire Volunteers. The other field officers, and 
most of the company and non-commissioned officers, were distributed 
as officers or privates in various other organizations. 

Subsequent to the organization of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Regi- 
ments one full company and part of another, in all about 125 men, 
were added to the Seventeenth Regiment from the other Congressional 
districts, who, with the 791 men belonging to Colonel Kent's regiment 
as enlisted from the Third district, would have made the total number 
under his command 916 men — considerably more than the number en- 
titling him to muster into the service of the United States as colonel of 
the regiment. 

At the outbreak of the war Colonel Kent began enlisting men at his 
home in Lancaster, immediately raising a large part of Company F, of 
the Second New Hampshire Volunteers, but being a graduate of the 
military university of Norwich, Vt., and having much ability in busi- 
ness affairs, the inexperienced state authorities in the hurried organiza- 
tion of troops found his services indispensable, and from a sense of 
duty he sacrificed his desire to go into the field in order to remain in 
the state as assistant adjutant-general, in which capacity he aided the 



lOO SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

government greatly during the earl)- part of the war, constantly holding 
himself in readiness to go into the active service whenever the authori- 
ties desired. During the whole war he displayed great patriotic activ- 
ity in other ways as well as in the capacity of a colonel of volunteers, 
in which he actually served from October 23, 1862. until April 16, 
1863, although forthe reasons herein set forth he was never formally 
mustered. 

The Seventeenth New Hampshire Volunteers was borne upon the 
rolls as a regiment in the service of the United States between the dates 
above specified, under the command of Colonel Kent, during which 
time his orders and requisitions in the enlistment, equipment, organi- 
zation, and sustenance, and discipline of the regiment in that capacity 
were recognized and duly honored by the national government. He 
was deprived of his command without fault of his own, against his will, 
and was wronged out of his chance for honorable distinction by reason 
of his self-sacrificing devotion to the public good, and this after the 
country had received the great benefit of his exertions preparatory to 
the opportunity which he had a right to expect, to perform such service 
in the field, as by education, ability, and high character he was emi- 
nently capable of rendering. 

He asks nothing of a pecuniary nature, the general government hav- 
ing paid tlie full compensation of the Seventeenth Regiment of New 
Hampshire Volunteers, officers and men, as such, in full. 

He only asks recognition upon the military records of his country as 
colonel of the regiment of which he was in fact the colonel, but which 
without legislation he cannot receive by reason of a technical failure of 
the general law of 1884 as construed by the war department. 

On October 13, 1886, Colonel Kent asked the war department for 
recognition as colonel of the Seventeenth Regiment under the act of June 
3, 1884, the language of that act being as follows: 

Any person duly appointed and commissioned shall be considered as com- 
missioned to the grade therein named from the date when his commission 
was issued by competent authority, and shall be entitled to all pay and emol- 
uments as if actually mustered at that date, provided that at the date of his 
commission he was actually performing the duties of his grade, or if not so 
]5erforming such duties, then from such time after the date of his commission 
as he may actually have entered upon such duties, and provided that this act 
and the resolution hereby amended shall be construed to apply only to those 
cases where the commission bears date \)x\ox to June 20, 1863, or after that 
date when their commands were not below the minimum number required by 
existing laws and regulations. 



RECOGNITION BY CONGRESS. lOI 

It seemed to Colonel Kent and those who in his behalf urged that 
he be accorded recognition as colonel that his case came clearly within 
this act of June 3, 1884. 

(i) He had been appointed and commissioned as colonel by the 
governor of New Hampshire, and had actually received the full pay and 
emoluments of that grade, and the amounts paid him had been reim- 
bursed by the United States to the state of New Hampshire. 

(2) He had actually performed the duties of his grade for the full 
time of his service. 

(3J His commission bore date prior to June 20, 1863, namely, Oc- 
tober 23, 1862; so that the fact that his command did not reach the 
minimum was under the law explicitly no obstacle to his recognition. 

But the application for recognition under this act of June 3, 1884, 
was denied by the war department by letter of October 19, 1886, on the 
ground that the act was not intended to apply to original vacancies but 
only to those happening when regiments in the service were reduced 
below the required minimum. 

Thus defeated in his commendable and honorable efforts to secure 
from the war department that recognition as colonel, to which he con- 
sidered himself as fairly and equitably entitled. Colonel Kent has been 
compelled to appeal to congress for a statute declaring him entitled to 
such recognition. The bill carries with it no pay, allowances, or emol- 
uments whatever, for, as has been stated, he was fully paid as colonel 
by the state of New Hampshire, which has been reimbursed by the 
general government. 

His motive is not mercenary nor wholly selfish. Having done what 
he could in the emergency of the Union to reach the field of battle in 
its defense, and having labored assiduously in the organization and the 
command of a body of troops, the soldiers of which faithfully served 
during the war, and being balked in his purpose by annoying circum- 
stances beyond his own control, he has a natural desire to perfect and 
complete his military record according to the actual facts, and to stand 
officially and formally recorded among the Union soldiers of the war. 
His motive is commendable, and to gratify his honorable desire does 
not harm the government, and is only an act of simple justice fairly 
due to a faithful public servant. 

A complete statement of the facts made by the Hon. Nathaniel S. 
Berry, the war governor of New Hampshire, who still survives full of 
years and honors, and also a war department memorandum of Decem- 
ber 13, 1889, are made a part of this report. 



I02 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

The bill was \\'arnih' supported b}' both the senators 
from New Hampshire, and b\- distinguished senators and 
representatives from all parts of the Union. As already 
stated, it passed both branches of congress and passed them 
both unanimoush". Great credit for this action is due Sen- 
ator William E. Chandler and Ex-Senator Henry W. Blair 
— the latter the original captain of one of the Third Dis- 
trict companies in the Fifteenth Regiment and then major 
and lieutenant-colonel of that command serving with 
distinction in the Port Hudson campaign. 

Senator Chandler's long and distinguished public career 
emphasized the value of his cordial support of the measure, 
and later his encouragement and aid in the preparation of 
this history while reflecting great honor upon his love of 
impartial justice, has secured the appreciation and regard 
of the Seventeenth Infantrv. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

Seventeenth Men in the Second Re(;iment and at 
Gettysburg. 

(), why the deuce should I repine 

And be an illforeboder .' 
I 'm twenty-three, and five feet nine, 

I Ml go ! and be a sodjer. 

Burns. 

It was a pretty severe test of the character and disposi- 
tion of the men of the Seventeenth to witness cahnl}' the 
disintegration of their own regiment, and, after all the 
promises made, to be forced into another command not of 
their own choosing. But they acquitted themselves like 
men, and showed the kind of stuff they were made of. 
Indeed, the Second woidd have been their choice under 
any circumstances. It had an unsurpassed record, was 
composed of veterans with whom they quickl\' fraternized, 
its officers were distinguished for military abilit}^ and ex- 
perience, and our men were received with open arms and 
a true spirit of comradeship. So that when the regiment 
left the state. May i8, 1863, they were already quite at 
home in its ranks; and their after record proves them to 
have been in every way entitled to a place among the 
best for deeds of bravery and daring in the old Second, 
which was filled with heroes. It was barely six weeks after 
the forming of this alliance that these men received their 
baptism of fire in the historic Battle of Gettysburg. 

Gettysburg ranks among the decisive battles of the 
world. It turned the tide of victory, called a halt to the 
invading forces of Lee, sent him back to Virginia with an 
army so crippled and decimated that it never recovered 



I04 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

from the blow, and restored the wavering confidence of the 
North, which h\ successive reverses was greatly in need of 
just such a result. It was an object lesson in military 
tactics, an exhibition of superior military knowledge and 
scientific combinations, by experienced commanders; but, 
above all, of personal courage, indomitable valor, and 
heroic self-sacrifice on the part of both officers and men. 
In the three days' fight our losses were, in killed, 2,834; 
wounded, 13,709; missing, 6,643 — a total of 23,186. The 
Confederate losses from same causes were 31,621. 

Colonel Martin A. Haynes, in his regimental history, 
gives a graphic description of the record made for itself by 
the New Hampshire Second in this memorable battle. 
The following extracts are but a fair illustration of the 
entire chapter, as it appears in that publication : 

"Colonel Bailey, while taking a view from a point of observation 
near the Emmitsburg road, noted the rapid advance of a column of 
massed battalions. He watched it just long enough to determine that 
it was a genuine column of attack with no skirmishers thrown forward, 
and that it was pushing directly for the battery the Second was sup- 
porting, and would be upon it in a very few minutes. He ran with 
all speed to General Graham, meeting him some distance to the rear of 
the Second, gave him warning, and suggested that the Second should 
charge. 'Yes, for God's sake, go forward! ' replied Graham. 

" The Second came to their feet with a great sigh of relief. They 
had begun to chafe in the leash. Despite many casualties, there were 
probably more than three hundred men still left to 'go forward.' No 
time was wasted on frills — only a moment for a hasty alignment. 
There was not time even to rally Company B into the line, and most, 
if not all, of its men were left at their work about the Wentz house. 
Besides, they appeared to be fully engaged just then. The lieutenant 
in command of the battery was seen to be spiking his guns, indicating 
that he considered them as good as lost. He was not acquainted with 
his supports. It is safe to say that no battery commander in the Third 
Corps would ever have done that so long as he had the Second New 
Hampshire with him. But this battery had been very nearly silenced 
for some time by the overpowering rebel fire and its commander 
simply lost his nerve. 



SEVENTEENTH MEN AT GETTYSBURG. 105 

'■'■'■ Forward I guide cetttre!" and the Second was off. One of the 
battery lieutenants with the aid of a corporal, was training one of the 
guns upon the head of the advancing column, and just as the Second 
passed the double-shotted piece was discharged. Simultaneous])' 
came the order to charge, and with a roar of defiance from three hun- 
dred throats, the Second went tearing down the slope. They did not 
have to hunt for the enemy — there he was, right before them. The 
rebels halted a moment, in dazed surprise at this devil's whirlwind 
which had been let loose upon them. It seemed to be a halt involun- 
tary and without orders. Those ragged veterans saw it ' meant busi- 
ness.' The savage, confident dash of the charge was suggestive of a 
heavy support behind, and there was not much time for them to stop 
and think the matter over. They did what any other body of troops 
would have done under like circumstances — about faced, and went 
back as fast as they could run for a new start. 

"On went the Second, in a southwest course, about one hundred 
and fifty yards, through the peach orchard, its right wing out at its 
angle and partly across the Emmitsburg road. A sharp fire was main- 
tained upon those fleeing rebels until they reached a little depression 
in the fields and piled into it out of sight. There was some difficulty 
in halting the Second. Its blood was up, and many of the men 
seemed to think that now was the time to go into Richmond. But 
they were at length cooled down, and the regiment was quickly moved 
a little to the left, along the line of a rail fence at the southerly end of 
the orchard, its right resting on the road. 

" The fire was now directed, at the left oblique, upon a body of troops 
about three hundred and fifty yards to the front and left, who were 
moving by their right flank, in two lines, nearly parallel with the front 
of the Second. At this time the Third Maine came tearing down the 
slope, lined up on the left of the Second, and joined in the firing ; 
while the Sixty-eighth Pennsylvania came in upon the right of the 
Second, forming at right angles with its line, facing west, along the 
Emmitsburg road. Many regiments fought in a peach orchard at 
Gettysburg, but the three above enumerated were the only ones who 
formed in a line in ' t/ie^ peach orchard of that day. 

"Following the Second's charge, there came for a brief time a lull 
in the fire of the rebel artillery. The rebels were evidently sizing up 
and getting the range of the new disposition of troops which had been 
thrust forward in their faces, and Barksdale was meantime reorganizing 
his somewhat disordered column of attack. Then came the storm. 



I06 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REG EVENT. 

Every rebel gun was let loose until tlie peach orchard seemed to be 
almost moving in the windage of hurtling metal. Under cover of this 
tremendous tire, the iinal, decisive assault was made by Barksdale. 
Formed by battalions in mass in line of battle, his troops swept steadily 
forward. From their direction it was to be seen that their right, unless 
checked, would enter the peach orchard somewhere on the line held by 
the Sixty-eighth Pennsylvania. The Second directed its fire, at the 
right oblique, full upon the advancing column, but it pushed forward 
with magnificent determination, its gray masses rising and falling with 
the inequalities of the ground, now sinking into a depression, and then 
bursting over a swell, but always onward. The Sixty-eighth, which 
had been losing heavily, withdrew up the slope before the impact came, 
and immediately after, the Third Maine also fell back. The charging 
column, its front now blazing with the fire of small arms, advanced 
across the unprotected right flank of the Second. 

"The subsequent evolutions of the regiment could only have been 
performed by troops of superlative discipline and nerve. The regiment 
was about faced and retired, making a change of front to the rear while 
marching. Half way througli the peach orchard, it halted and main- 
tained a sharp fire until again overtopped, when the movement was 
repeated, bringing the regiment over the crest and almost directly 
facing the Emmitsburg road. Here there were a few moments of very 
close and very ugly work, when, being entirely unsupported, the regi- 
ment was drawn back a short distance, under cover somewhat of the 
eastern slope of the ridge. 

********** 

•' It was close, stubborn, and deadly work — this last stand of the 
Second. The Compte de Paris well characterized the peach orchard fight 
by a single word, ' murderous.' The Third Maine and Sixty-eighth 
Pennsylvania made a gallant attempt to come to the Second's sujiport, 
charging up into the terrible fire to prolong the line upon the right; 
but it was too hot for them, and they did not reach the position. 
********** 

" Nearly three fiftlis of the Second Regiment were down, and the 
men still left, planted amid their dead and wounded comrades, were 
standing up to their work as steadily and unflinchingly as though not a 
man had been hit. Had occasion required, they were in the spirit to 
stop right there until three fifths of those yet on their feet had been 
knocked over. But it was only a waste of lives for a handtul of men 
to remain alone and unsupported in sucii a slaughter-pen. The Second 
was about faced, and in regimental line moved down the slope in per- 



SEVENTEENTH MEN AT GETTYSBURG. 107 

feet order, and taking with it such of its wounded as could be carried 
along. Approaching the new line, where several batteries were in 
position, the regiment broke into column from its left (now become the 
right) and passed to the east, left in front, receiving, as it moved along 
the line of the artillery, round upon round of cheers from the battery 
men, who had been interested spectators of the closing scenes at the 
peach orchard. 

" The Second took three hundred and fifty-four officers and enlisted 
men into the fight. Its loss as officially reported was one hundred 
and ninety-three. Three commissioned officers were killed and eigh- 
teen wounded — four, mortally — but three escaping unhurt out of twenty- 
four. Out of three hundred and thirty enlisted men, seventeen were 
reported killed, one hundred and nineteen wounded, and thirty-si.x 
missing. The mortally wounded swelled the Second''s death roll to 
forty-seven — over thirteen per cent, of the number engaged." 

A fitting termination to Colonel Ha}-nes's narrative is the 
final paragraph in Colonel Bailey's official report of the 
battle : 

" This battalion entered the fight with a firm determination to do or 
die, and the long lists of fallen comrades already submitted will show 
how well that resolution was kept. When all did so well, it would be 
invidious to make comparisons. Let it suffice to say they did their 
part as became the sons of the old Granite State. For our fallen 
braves who have so gloriously perished fighting for their country we 
drop a comrade's tear, — while we would extend our heartfelt sympathy 
to those dear ones far away, who find the ties of kindred and friends 
thus rudely severed, and for those who must suffer untold agony and 
pain through long weeks of convalescence, our earnest sympathy, yet 
leaving them to the watchful care of Him who will not prove unmindful 
of their necessities." 

A newspaper correspondent of the period alread)' citioted 
in preceding" pages, wrote : 

" In the Battle of Gettysburg, this [Second] regiment which had 
never flinched on any battlefield sustained its noble reputation. And 
all honor to the Seventeenth boys ! They went into the thickest of 
the fight with the tDravery of veterans. Strange as it may seem, these 
men, who had never been under fire before, sustained a more severe 
loss, proportionately, than any other company." 



I08 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT 

The colonel of the old Seventeenth happening to be in 
Washington during the autumn of '63 was present by invi- 
tation as a staff oflficer and member of the presidential 
part}- at the consecration of the Gettysburg cemetery. 
After the ceremonies had been completed, riding around 
the field he found and brought back from Sherfey's peach 
orchard an exploded shell, fired from the rebel lines at the 
men of the Seventeenth. This shell now does duty as a 
paper weight upon the colonel's library table. 

We cannot otherwise so well close this chapter as by 
quoting the prophetic words of President Lincoln : 

'• Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this 
continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the 
proposition that all men are created equal. Now, we are engaged in a 
great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived 
and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield 
of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a 
final resting place for those who here gave their lives that our nation 
might live. It is fitting that we should do this ; but, in a larger sense, 
we cannot hallow this ground. Tlie brave men, living and dead, who 
struggled here, liave consecrated it far beyond anything we can do. 
The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here ; but 
it can never forget what tJiey did here. It is for us, the living, rather 
to dedicate ourselves to the unfinished work which they, who fought 
here, have thus far so nobly advanced ; to consecrate ourselves to the 
great task remaining; and to gather from the graves of these honored 
dead increased devotion to that cause for which they gave their lives. 
Here let us resolve that they shall not have died in vain ; that this 
nation shall, under God, have a new birth of freedom ; and that govern- 
ment ^^the people, by tlie people, 7\x\6. for the people shall not perish 
forever from the earth." 



CHAPTER XXII. 
Comrade Whipple's Diary. 

Then gather 'round my comrades 

And hear a soldier tell 
How full of honor was the day 

When every man did well. 

Tupper. 

Comrade Albert F. Whipple of Lancaster, who as prin- 
cipal musician of the Seventeenth organized its excellent 
regimental band, voluntarily joined the Second at the time 
of consolidation, was appointed band master, and became 
closely identified in all the Second's movements until 
mustered out with the Seventeenth contingent when their 
term of service expired. He has kindh- prepared for use 
in the compilation of this history a copy of his diary, kept 
day by day in field and camp, from which the following 
extracts are taken : 

'• When the Civil War began, and the rebels fired on Fort Sumter I 
had no desire to join the army. I was offered tlie position as band 
master in the Fifth New Hampshire by Colonel Cross, and he urged me 
quite hard to take it, but I declined. But after Colonel Kent received 
his appointment to recruit the Seventeenth with a company from Lan- 
caster and vicinity, I was anxious to go with them, but should never 
have thought of going under any other consideration than with Colonel 
Kent and our other friends. I enlisted in the Seventeenth, Oct. 15, 
1862, as a musician, and received orders to enlist a band. Enlisted 
before going into camp, Perkins of Gorham, George Dustin, Joseph 
Dustin, Daniel C. Bean, and Jesse Tuttle, all of Berlin, Henry Love- 
joy and Cyrus E. Burnham of Littleton, and George H. Watson of 
Lancaster. Enlisted a iVIr. Bates soon after going into camp. I 
received my warrant as band master Nov. 22, 1862, and Cyrus E. 



no SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

Burnham his as band sergeant same date. On the same day we were 
mustered into the U. S. service. Upon return to camp, April ist, 
enlisted Charles E. iMclntire of Lancaster as a member of the band. 
Made good improvement while in camp up to the time of our transfer 
to the Second Regiment, April i6, 1863. Colonel Bailey detailed from 
the Second five new members. They were good musicians. 

'• Broke camp and left Concord for Washington the last of May. 
Our first halt was Worcester. Band played some very choice pieces 
and were heartily cheered. The next stopping place was Philadelphia, 
where the band headed the regiment and marched from one depot to 
the other, quite a long distance. Our regiment created quite an excite- 
ment, a large crowd of people following us, and the band received 
many compliments, but many were the regrets of the band that we 
were not at the liead of the Seventeenth, as we expected to be when 
we enlisted. In Baltimore the band played in the streets and the crowd 
very much excited called for ' John Brown,' saying ' Give it to us loud and 
strong.' We reached Washington and went into camp on Capitol 
Hill. 

^' Jinie II, 1863. — Broke camp in the morning and took boat for 
Acquia Creek, then cars for Stoneman Station where we camped for 
the night. 

•■^ June 12. — Broke camp at 5 a. m., and marched fourteen miles, 
halting at noon; traveled miles without seeing a house. We find many 
dead horses on the roadside. It is disagreeable on the road after an 
army has passed. 

" yime 13. — Marched twenty-five miles; went into camp at Rappa- 
hannock Station. It is hard to get water. I think many times I 
would give anything for a drink of our spring water at home ! 

" yuHC 14. — It is a common practice of the soldiers to go out forag- 
ing. Some of these parties drove a number of pigs into the opening 
near the camp, and the soldiers, arming themselves with clubs, tried to 
capture them. The pigs were wild ; but they managed to get them. 
We have to be very still because we are on one side of the Rappahan- 
nock and the rebels on the other, almost within speaking distance. It 
begins to look like a battle. There seems to be a movement of the 
whole army. Anyone at home that never saw the movements of an 
army cannot think what an undertaking it is to move such a large 
number of men. 

'■'■ yiine 24. — Camped near a small house and fine well of water. I 
went over to the well to fill my canteen and found the house filled with 
soldiers. I went to the door and looked in ; saw an old lady and a 



COMRADE WHIPPLE'S DIARY. Ill 

middle-aged lady — it was their home. The soldiers were taking every- 
thing they could from the house — even bread from the oven the ladies 
were baking for their own use. I went back and told Lieut. -Col Carr, 
and we came to the house together. As we entered a soldier came 
down from the chamber with a small ham. The old lady tried to take 
it from hnn. ' Why do you come and rob us lone women and take all 
we have to live on ? ' she said. The soldier replied that he was hun- 
gry, and the woman answered : ' God forbid you from fighting for a 
government that will not feed you, and robs us of what little we have. 
Colonel Carr then stepped forward and said, ' Hold on ! I do n't say 
you shall not have the ham, but let us talk it over. Have you not got 
a mother, sister, or some relative at home? How would you like to 
have an army do to your relatives at home as you are doing here?' 
The soldier got right out and then Colonel Carr talked to the other 
soldiers and told me to go to the adjutant and have him send a guard 
to protect the house. 

'' July 2. — Broke camp at four in the morning, but did not move 
until daylight. Marched very fast five miles and halted for half an 
hour. Arrived early in Gettysburg. Brigade formed in line of battle. 
Skirmishing very near the road we came in on and in a short time the 
rebels occupied it. Not very severe fighting until seven o'clock, and 
then it was terrific. Our regiment lost heavily during the day and 
looks bad ! We have lost seven oiificers and one half of the men in 
killed, wounded, and missing, but they did their duty, as they always 
have done before. The band played to the brigade at dusk and was 
ordered to play national airs. When the orders are given to load, I 
feel as if I must go with them, and I went to Colonel Bailey and told 
him so. He replied, ' Wait, and if they need you it will be time then 
for you to go in.' Our regiment walked at the head of the brigade on 
to the battlefield that clay. The brigade commander overheard my 
conversation with Colonel Bailey in regard to my going into battle, and 
ordered me to take the band to the rear and to hold ourselves in readi- 
ness to play when they made a charge. 

" July 3. — Third corps was relieved by the Sixth last night and fell 
to the rear. Moved to the front early this morning. The Third corps 
was double-quicked into position to support a battery under a very 
heavy fire. The band was at the head of the brigade and remained 
until the brigade formed to make a charge, when, having nothing but 
their instruments, they were ordered to the rear. 

" July 4. — -Rebels commenced their retreat. 

" J"ly 5- — Strolled over the battlefield ; find men and horses piled all 



112 SEVENTEENTH N'EIV HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

together in places, every soldier lying on the battlefield has been 
robbed by the sharks who follow the army for that purpose. Take 
another stroll over the battlefield finding one of the dead soldiers, and 
a letter by his side from his mother and his sister, congratulating him 
on his success in escaping with his life thus far, and saying they should 
look forward for the time when he would return home and that that 
would be the happiest day of their lives. 

'■' Jitly \\ . — The officers and men are very anxious to meet the 
enemy again. They think we have them where we can take them, and 
want it to rain hard so the rebels cannot get over the river. The sol- 
diers are getting tired of the war and think if they can capture Lee's 
army the war must close very soon and they can go home to their 
families and friends. If the soldiers could be led on now, I think there 
is no equal number that could stand before them. 

" yuly i6. — I am almost worn out — severe dysentery. My boots 
begin to give out. Many of the men are barefoot and very ragged. 
We can draw no clothing. 

'■'■yuly 20. — Our cavalry had a little brush with the rebels, but the 
rebels ran. Sick, and feel as though I must fall behind, but it is not 
safe, for I do not wish to go to Richmond with the rebels. 

" yuly 22. — This town is called Piedmont. After supper the band 
was ordered to corps headquarters. Gen. French is in command. He 
occupies a house which belonged to rebel Col. Ashbury, killed in 
Gen. Banks' retreat. It is a fine house, — built after the form of the 
White House at Washington. Several women were present, most of 
them rebels. 

" yuly 23. — Marched through Fairville. Some quite decent looking 
buildings but most of them look bad. Many of the houses are built of 
a flat rock very plenty in Virginia. The stone looks very much like 
the stone laid in walls between Lancaster and Whitefield. We halted 
three miles outside this town. Cavalry had passed by with rebel pris- 
oners, and halted at foot of Manassas GajD. Army moves as though 
there was a battle near. A general movement at 3 o'clock. Battle 
has commenced. General Mead is on the field ; hospitals are prepared ; 
ambulances are ready for the wounded and everythmg indicates a hard 
fight. At 4.30, heavy infantry firing; our forces advance driving 
the rebels. A rebel battery opens. At dark all is quiet along the line. 
The rebels seem to occupy the best position on the highest ground. 
Several rebels captured. 

" yuly 24. — Considerable picket firing. Our troops in line of battle. 
Our troops advance driving the rebels before them. Our army follows 



COMRADE WHIPPLE'S DIARY. 



113 



..tae"**^^-'*'-. 



them to Front Royal and returns at 4 p. ni. It proved to be a part 
of rebel General EwalTs force. 

"All the women here must be rebels if you can judge from their 
looks. The fields are covered with blackberries. Tiiey are very nice. 
It seems hard to look upon this country and see the destruction caused 
by the army. Railroad tracks taken up and every rail is crooked. If 
a farmer has a horse, cow, sheep, pigs or poultry the army takes it and 
uses it without asking for it. I see stacks of wheat raised last year and 
not yet threshed. Fields of grain are standing, suffering to be cut. 
Many fields of grain are tramped 
down by the army and de- 
stroyed. Farmers have nothing 
to encourage them. If they har- 
vest their produce they are liable 
to have it taken from them. I 
cannot blame them for not lik- 
ing the army. It deals destruc- 
tion wherever it goes. Many 
will say that the people are poor { 
and ignorant, but we can look \ 
at home and see how many we 
have about us that do precisely 
as their leaders tell them to do. 
It is easier to see faults in otliers 
tlian it is in ourselves. 

" My boots are getting very 
bad. 1 am afraid I shall have 
to go barefoot. I cannot get any 
more at present. We came near 
meeting with an accident today. 
While the regiment was in ad- 
vance, Colonel Bailey returned with his blacksmith and took possession 
of a shop to have his horse shod. While there the owner got him into 
his house, gave him a dinner and tried to detain him. Our infantry 
withdrew and left the colonel behind. The rebel cavalry followed our 
cavalry and Colonel Bailey was cut off. But there happened to be one 
spare road, and the colonel being well mounted just barely escaped. 
Would have been a prisoner if detained three minutes longer. 

'•July 16. — The Second Regiment has received orders detaching it 
from the Jersey brigade and is to return to Washington. The Twelfth 
New Hampshire joined us and afterwards the Fifth. 
8 




Alkkkt F. Whipi'le. 



114 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

" 7"^y 2)°- — Band played through the city of Washington. Started 
for Point Lookout. 

"7«/)'3i. — Point Lookout is turned into a rebel prison camp, and 
General Marston is in command of tiie !)rigade in charge, of which the 
Second is a part. Our l^and does duty daily for General Marston's 
brigade. 

" .SV//. 20. — Governor Gilmore and others arrived and visited the 
camp, then went to General Marston\s headquarters and speeches were 
made by Governor Gilmore, Hale, Clark. Foster and Patterson. Tiie 
band gave a concert and played between the speeches. 

''Sept. 21. Received orders for the Seventeenth to be in readi- 
ness to go on the next boat. The regiment feels very much better. 
We are to leave for Washington in the morning. Band gave a fare- 
well concert at Colonel Bailey's headquarters in the evening. The 
band feels under great obligations to Colonel Bailey for his great kind- 
ness and friendship during our connection with the Second. 

" Sept. 22. — After parade the Seventeenth marched to the boat and 
left for Washington. This was the last time the Seventeenth band 
ever played together. Arrived in Washington after dark and stopped 
at the soldiers' retreat. 

^'Sept. 25. — Arrived in Boston at 6 a. m. and in Concord at 8 p. m. 

" Oct. 8. — Lieutenant Cooper arrived with mustering out papers and 
Oct. 9 we were mustered out of the service and discharged. Thus 
ends the Seventeenth Regiment, New Hampshire Volunteers." 

Comrade Whipple is now li\-ing" in Ex'erett, Mass., a con- 
firmed invalid, suffering severeh^ from rheumatism con- 
tracted in the campaigns of which he has given such a 
vivid description. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

Mustered Out. 

" Through the blood sweat and pain of war 
We grow more free, we grow more true, 
And brighter, clearer, lovelier far 

Shall shine the red, the white, the blue." 

Thu.s the men of the Seventeenth, who were mustered in 
the Second Regiment, served in that command all through 
the hardest fought and most dccisix'c campaign of the 
entire war. From the outset they behaved like veterans, 
well-mated with the old campaigners of the adopted or- 
ganization, equally capable and' willing to perform any 
service required or hold their own on the battlefield. It 
has ever been the pride of their ofificers and companions 
in the Seventeenth to point to the record they made ; it 
has ever been an honor to the men to have that record 
exhibited. Gettysburg raised up many heroes; many regi- 
ments won renown on that decisive field ; but among them 
all, none surpassed the Second New Hampshire in courage 
and \'alor and no men in the Second sustained their part 
better than the gallant contingent from the Third Congres- 
sional District, which came through the Seventeenth. 

These men were mustered November 13, 1862, for nine 
months, and were entitled to a discharge August 13, 1863 ; 
but the "exigencies of the service" appeared to require 
their detention, and it was not until October 9 that they 
were finalh' mustered out. 

Upon bidding them farewell. Colonel Bailey issued the 
following order : 



Il6 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

Headquarters Second N. H. V., 
DisT. St. Mary's, Point Lookout, Md., 

September 22, 1863. 
General Order No. 14. 

Soldiers of the Seventeenth New Hampshire Volunteers : 
You are about to part with your comrades of the Second for the more 
peaceful and happier atmosphere of vour domestic firesides. Aroused 
by the necessity of your country, you assembled under a gallant and 
accomplished leader, with justly iiigh hopes to lead with him a brilliant 
career, carving bright honors from the field of battle with which to 
wreathe the proud banners of your regiment; but these cherished 
anticipations were not to be realized. 

After months of uncertainty, in obedience to orders from the Honora- 
ble Secretary of War, the Seventeenth and Second New Hampshire 
Regiments were consolidated on the sixteenth day of April, since 
which time you have labored patiently and harmoniously. 

You had no choice in your disposition — you were not the electors of 
place. Yet though not sent to battle under the most favorable circum- 
stances, you have comported yourselves as men should, and have se- 
cured the respect and friendship of your companions and officers. 

Your term of service, though short, has been eventful. You will 
return to the quiet of your pleasant homes with the proud satisfaction 
that your career embraced participation in one of the most arduous 
campaigns and tlie hardest fought and most glorious battle in its 
results of any of this war. Called to sustain a part which tested your 
patriotism and valor, the ordeal prepared for you was the occupancy of 
the most exposed position. During that terrible contest you stood 
firmly, shoulder to slioulder, with the familiars of fifteen battles, fight- 
ino- as valiantly. Ten of your comrades sleep where no sound shall 
awaken them till the reveille of the angel band summons them to join 
the ranks of that host of hosts whose enlistment is forever and ever. 
I would thank you for your prompt, brave, and efficient i)erformance 
of your duty ; your respect and cheerful obedience of all orders, which 
has been your conduct uniformly during the period 1 have had the 
honor to be connected with you in the capacity of commander. 

You return to your homes with some pleasant reminiscences mingled 
with your recollection of toil, hardshij), and danger, ere long to be 
followed by your remaining comrades, who. I trust, are soon to wit- 
ne.ss the death of that hydra — rebellion — and be permitted to assume 
the garb of peace. 

John D. Cooper, Adjutant. 



Ed. L. Bailey, Col. 2d N. H. V. 



MUSTERED OUT. II7 

In drawing to a close this all too imperfect record of 
some events connected with the great Civil War, it may be 
of interest to record for future reference the name of the 
colonel, first in command of each New Hampshire regi- 
mental organization. The list is as follows: (Those still 
living are indicated b}' a star prefixed to the name.) 

First Regiment, Mason W. Tappan. Died October 24, 
1886. 

Second Regiment, Gilman Marstun. Died July 3, 
1890. 

Third Regiment, Enoch O. Fellows. Died May 6, 
1897. 

Fourth Regiment, Thomas J. Whh'PLE. Died Decem- 
ber 21, 1889. 

Fifth Regiment, EDWARD E. CROSS. Killed in the 
Battle of Gettysburg, July 2, 1863. 

Sixth Regiment, NELSON CONVERSE. Died April 27, 
1894. 

Seventh Regiment, Haldiman S. Putnam. Killed at 
Fort Wagner, July 18, 1863. 

Eighth Regiment, * Hawkes Fearino, Jr. 

Ninth Regiment, ENOCH Q. FELLOWS, from June 14 to 
November 21, 1862, * HERBERT B. Titus. 

Tenth Regiment, Michael T. Donohoe. Died May 
26, 1895. 

Eleventh Regiment, WALTER Harriman. Died July 
25, 1884. 

Tzvelfth Regiment, Joseph H. Potter. Died Decem- 
ber I, 1892. 

Thirteenth Regiment, Aaron F. Stevens. Died May 
10, 1887. 

Fourteenth Regiment, Robert Wilson. Died April 8, 
1870. 

Fifteenth Regiment, * John W. Kingman. 



Il8 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

Sixteenth Regiment, James Pike. Died July 26, 1895. 
Seventeenth Regiment, * Henry O. Kent. 
Eighteenth Regiment, * Thomas L. Livermore. 
First Regiment Heavy Artillery, * Charles H. Long. 
First Regiment Volunteer Cavalry, John L. THO.\n'- 
SON. Died January i, 1888. 




















Wkiks Memorial Stone. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 
In Memoriam. 

" We bow to heaven that willed it so, 
That darkly rules the fate of all, 
That sends the respite or the blow, 
That 's free to live or to recall." 

Upon the memorial stone at The Weirs, presented by 
Comrade Sanborn of the Twelfth, and adopted by the Vet- 
erans' Association and the Grand Army, as the Sacred 
Cabala to commemorate the services and sacrifices during 
the war of the various New Hampshire organizations, there 
appears, in due sequence with the other commands, cut 
deep in the stone, the name of the Seventeenth Infantry. 
Together the Second and Seventeenth " labored patiently 
and harmonioush'." Together they " stood firmly, shoul- 
der to shoulder," on the field of battle. Their dead were 
buried side by side. The veterans of each still join hands 
at the \'early encampment, and thus perpetuate in loving 
remembrance the heroic deeds of these tv.-o bands now un- 
ited to form one common whole. 

Upon the retiu'n of the Seventeenth men from the front, 
there appeared in Colonel Kent's newspaper the following: 

In Memoriam. 

"In a distant city, occupied with new respon.sibilities, the editor of 
this paper, for the first time, sees a partial list of the casualtie.s among 
the men of the Seventeenth New Hampshire Regiment transferred to 
the Second and participants in the campaign of 1863. 

" It is with no ordinary feeling of interest and pride that he has 
watched the progress of these men, once under his immediate com- 
mand. In thought he has shared with them the privations of camp 



I20 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

and march, and in thought been with them on the field. At the expira- 
tion of their time of service, it is but a sHght tribute to the patriotism 
of the Hving and to the memory of the gallant dead, to bear record of 
their consistent patriotism and soldierly career. 

" He feels justitied in doing this, for he has never learned to subdue 
the keen regret with which he and his brother officers were obliged to 
part from these men, enlisted for their special command, or to feel the 
error which occurred when, in the territory assigned for this regiment, 
eleven hundred volunteers were raised, and but a fraction Of the num- 
ber were allowed to enter the camp ; and that those who did, were, 
against the most vigilant ei^brts, obliged, by the urgency of the times, 
to take service elsewhere. 

" Nowhere could they have gone better than into the regiment that 
received them. The final order of the colonel discharging them is a 
handsome tribute to their bearing as soldiers. 

"Through the exhausting campaign of July, these men did their full 
part. On the field of Gettysburg they kept their post with the bravest 
veterans, and charged with the cool, resistless onset of practiced sol- 
diers. On that day no men behaved better than the men of the Seven- 
teenth New Hampshire. 

" This eminently glorious campaign was attended with the miseries 
that war brings in its train. Many of these men laid down their lives 
as holy otTerings upon the altar of their country. Some sickened away 
from those ihey loved at home, drawing their last breath amid crowded 
hospitals ; and others breathed out their spirit amid the roar and clangor 
of battle. Wherever they died, and however they fell, none fell with 
his back to the enemy. All earned a soldier's grave, and the grateful 
memory of their country. 

"The time of service expired, the survivors are again scattered 
among the homes of the state. They will be welcomed with rejoicing, 
while the tear will fall over those brave ones who have passed 
beyond the roar of battle to the reward that awaits the patriot 
soldier. It is little that the pen can compass to express the warm 
regard and earnest interest which the writer of this article, in common 
with many others, felt in the welfare of the men of this command ; and 
it is equally little to award to those who have returned from so honor- 
able a warfare, the credit which is their due, and to keep ever in 
memory the services and virtues of those who have fallen. Honor to 
their memory. No prouder epitaph can be inscribed upon the tablet 
that marks their final resting place than this : 

" TiiKv Gave Their Lives For Their Country."' 



CHAPTER XXV. 

The Colonel's Conclusions. 

Though the mills of GoD grind slowly, 
Yet they grind exceeding small ; — 
Though with patience He stands waiting, 
With exactness grinds He all ! 

Translation — Lons;^ fellow . 

Asked for a chapter in the histor}' now in preparation, 
I approach a brief review of some of the incidents of those 
da}'S covering our service, ^\•ith mingled satisfaction and 
regret; satisfaction, that the story is to be told in this 
authentic and ofificial manner, and regret for the lost hopes 
attending our endeavor ; hopes, subordinated, let us believe, 
through the exigencies of the times to the public good, and 
an endeavor plainly aiding the militarj' needs then para- 
mount. 

Since the war — save among its own members and the 
loyal caniaradei-ie of veterans, the Regiment has not always 
been understood aright. Indeed, it has been w/Vunder- 
stood, and sometimes with a persistency and perversit)' not 
wholly agreeable. 

At a critical period of military necessity its formation 
was authorized, territory assigned for its enlistment, and its 
field ofiicers appointed. The necessary complement of a 
regiment responded. The command was ordered into camp, 
but many men volunteering in its territory so assigned 
it, — for reasons not heretofore generally known or under- 
stood — were sent to commands numericall\- prior to the 
Seventeenth, which were so made effective, thus depleting 
the Seventeenth to an extent making immediate muster 



122 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

impossible, lca\ing its future to the dull delays of lethargic 
plans never pressed to fulfilment, until as the solution of 
the problem so unexpectedly forced, its remaining strength 
was consolidated with another regiment. 

I shall not essay the story of the Seventeenth Volunteer 
Infantr}'. That is done in these pages by one of its ofificers 
competent and authorized. It is m\' prix'ilcge and province 
to bear tcstimon\' to the excellence of the command, its 
intelligence, discipline, and willing obedience, and to the 
cordial regard entertained, each for all, among its mem- 
bers ; a regard born of common trials and a common ser- 
vice. 

And so to you, my associates and comrades of the brave 
da}'s of old, and to the people of the state, I bring this 
contribution. 

Although not at the front as a distinctive command, 
neither the members of the Se\'enteenth nor the public 
should forget that it ser\^ed a valuable purpose and did its 
dut\- as valiantl}' and well as did any regiment of the state. 
Let me illustrate. 

The transfer April i6, 1863, of the men of this com- 
mand to the Second, enabled that admirable regiment to 
return to the front with fidler ranks, stronger e\'er\' wa}- to 
engage, with the honor and success that attended it, in the 
Gett}-sburg campaign. 

The assignment of three companies from the territory 
given it, to the Fifteenth, enabled that regiment to muster 
and take effective and honorable part at Port Hudson, and 
the attendant campaign. 

The assignment of three other comi)anies from the same 
district, completed the Sixteenth, and sent it into the hon- 
orable and successful ser\-ice of the Gulf campaign. 

^■\t this time, the maximum of officers and men for a reg- 
iment of infantrv was i ,046, a number heretofore attained 
before final muster, but there was also a nu'nimum, on the 



THE CO LONE US CONCLUSIONS. 123 

attainment of which, tlic field mii^dit be mustered and the 
organization completed. This minimum number was 914. 

For reasons elsewhere referred to and the growing dififi- 
culty of procuring \olunteers, the Fifteenth mustered with 
919 rank and file and the Sixteenth with 914. 

Three regiments, the Second, Fifteenth and Sixteenth, 
reinforced and equipped for duty b\' these men originally 
destined for the Sex'enteenth, were thus enabled to share in 
the peril, duty, and glory of active service, while the or- 
ganization thus cievoted, was able only to rejoice in the 
fame of its more fortunate comrades. 

" They also serve, who only stand and wait ! " 

When the three regiments thus raised in the autumn of 
1862 were projected, a crucial period in volunteering had 
been reached. Farly enthusiasm had subsided, grim reali- 
ties of prolonged war confronted us. Military operations 
of that year had resulted in discouragement, and public 
sentiment as manifested in the fall elections was not wholh" 
satisfactory. 

That product of the war, the substitute broker, and his 
client, the bount}' jumper, were being evolved by the logic 
of events. We had not begun to recruit the regiments as 
we did later through this agency and \\ith this material, 
and for a time it was uncertain just how the forces at the 
front were to be kept up. Great anxiet}' on this score pre- 
vailed. 

Under such circumstances, the assignment of territory for 
these regiments as described by Governor Berr\^ was made, 
and the appointment of field officers therein followed. 

It must ever stand to the honor of the Third Congres- 
sional district — thus assigned as the territor}- of the Seven- 
teenth, and for that regiment and its ofificers — that at this 
period of doubt and an.xiet}', sufficient x'olunteers from the 
best stock of the state responded to make up a full regi- 
ment ! Nor does it in the least detract from this exalted 



124 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

record, that under the presumed exigencies of the times, a 
majorit}' of these men were diverted from their original as- 
signment, or that the Seventeenth, thus depleted, was un- 
able to complete its service as designed. 

Governor Berry in his memorial to congress in 1892, 
referring to the colonel of the Seventeenth, uses the em- 
phatic words — " He zuas cotnmissioncd to raise a regi- 
ment^ — he did raise a regiment '. " 

The special order of the Second, read on the field after 
Gett}'sburg to the men of the Seventeenth, the records of 
the Fifteenth and Sixteenth, show how the men from the 
Third District, and from the Seventeenth Regiment, deported 
themselves. Surely the fame of the command is secure, 
through the honor thus awarded. 

No effort was spared by the officers to secure assignment 
to active duty, when in the spring of 1863 it became evi- 
dent that the regiment would not be filled. The depart- 
ment was memorialized to order into service as a battalion, 
as a detachment, to convert into a light battery, to assign 
ofificers deemed superfluous for such commands to detached 
or staff duty, so that in some effective way we might com- 
j)lete our service at the front. 

In the spring of 1863, accompanied by the adjutant, I 
visited Connecticut to confer with the Honorable Edward 
H. Rollins — then congressman from the Second District, 
who was engaged in the political canvass of that state ; the 
Honorable Thomas M. Edwards, congressman from the 
Third District, was repeatedly and urgent!}' memorialized 
to the same effect. No favorable results ensued and con- 
solidation with the Second, on the terms set forth in (uxlcrs 
elsewhere published, was decided at Washington. 

The physique, discipline, and morale of the regiment were 
carl}' proven to be excellent and so continued under tr}ing 
conditions. Distinguished from the substitutes and bounty 
jumpers of a later period, enlisting from exalted motives, for 



THE COLONEL'S CONCLUSIONS. 1 25 

a patriotic purpose, the men were willing" scholars knowing 
the value of sanitation, proficienc}' in arms, and rigid disci- 
pline. 

Lieut.-Col. Seth Eastman and Maj. J. H. Whittlesey, 
U. S. A., on duty from the war department, left on record 
emphatic approval of the military excellence and profi- 
ciency of of^cers and men ; approval justified later, b}- their 
conduct under the severest tests of service. 

It is no meaningless laudation to assert that officers, 
field, staff and line, v/ere well equipped, mentall\' and ph}-- 
sicalh', for their duties. There was no doubt of their abso- 
lute fitness. The different departments were efficient!}' di- 
rected and organized, the executive, the commissar}-, the 
medical, the musical, were all methodically conducted. 

These officers were men of education and position, and 
familiar with affairs. Some had seen service, some had 
received military and technical education of a high order, 
others had served in the militia ; all were competent, de- 
voted, faithful. 

The uniform courtesy and good will exhibited b}' all 
grades toward headquarters during the varying and tr}-ing 
period of service, is a matter of gratif}'ing recollection and 
appreciation. 

From the time of entering camp the exacting duties of a 
camp of instruction were prescribed and executed. Setting 
up the school of the soldier, squad drill, compan}- drill, 
battalion drill, dress parade, were of daily occurrence as 
proficiency demanded. Guard mount, guard rounds, dail}' 
inspection by companies, sick call, Sunda}' morning inspec- 
tion by headquarters, never failed ; the command earh' 
showed and later attested the excellence and wilue of this 
routine. 

The morale I ha\'e declared admirable. It stood the 
severest tests. 

It is not difficult under pleasant conditions with anticipa- 



126 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

tions approaching accomplishment, for the soldier to pass 
his days uncomplainingly, but when time lags, without the 
approach of expected results, when weeks melt into months 
with promises unfulfilled, and hope is chilled by disap- 
pointment, the mental fibre is tested, the real nobleness of 
the individual is manifest, as he endures without complaint 
the inevitable meted out to him. 

Such was the test here applied. The command had en- 
listed with proper hopes, ambitions, expectations; it had 
served faithfully, using every proper means to secure the 
object of enlistment, until powerless to avert, it yielded to 
the inevitable with soldierly discipline and submission. 

Joyous witnesses of the service and fame of its more for- 
tunate comrades at the front, often misunderstood where 
the story of the command was carelessly or ignorantly told, 
it was long before that justification and approval came to 
which it was entitled. 

During those }'ears of waiting it has been an enduring 
solace, that the veterans of the state have continuously 
manifested loyal comradeship toward their brethren of the 
Seventeenth. We have had equal recognition in the 
Grand Army, in the Veterans' association, in of^cial publi- 
cations, and our title is graven as deeply as that of an\' com- 
mand on the memorial boulder at The Weirs. 

When in 1892 the venerable war governor from his retire- 
ment gave to the Federal congress his emphatic statement 
and memorial relative to the status of the Seventeenth and 
the rank of its officers, — a memorial supplemented by the 
unanimous enactment of fitting legislation to that end, ap- 
proved b\' the president and commander-in-chief, — the men 
of the regiment felt that their vindication, long delayed, 
was secure, and that the highest authorit}' of state and 
nation had proclaimed their devotion and service. 

While it would be unwise to discuss influences affecting 
the assignment of com[)anies raised in 1862 in the Third 



THE CO LONE US CONCLUSIONS. 1 27 

District — and in the decision not to enforce the draft auth- 
orized by state law upon deHnquent towns, — decisions 
most unfortunate for the regiment, — over thirty years later, 
Governor Berr}- did what he could do, to retrieve the con- 
sequences of those decisions, in the memorial herein 
referred to, a document interesting, aside from its intrinsic 
vigor, scope, and precision, from the fact of the great age 
of its author, then ninety-five years old. 

It was on a bleak winter day that I saw him at the home 
of his son, William A. Berry, at Bristol, Grafton county. 
Ascertaining the object of m)' visit, he expressed his great 
willingness to aid in securing justice. His chamber was a 
sunny room, modestly furnished. Opening a cheap pine 
desk with pigeon holes, he explained that there were mem- 
oranda of each command raised during his administration. 
It was a revelation, the completeness and accuracy with 
which he had collated statistics and facts, and the interest 
he had here maintained through the long autumn of his 
life, in the military story of the state. Slowl}', carefully, 
and accurately this memorial was made and \'erified, and I 
am sure with great earnestness and interest on his part, to 
remed}', so far as was possible, the results that had come 
to the command through the decisions of 1862 and 1863. 

It is with more than ordinary pleasure that I learn of 
this volume, of^cially authorized, prepared, and published. 
The story of the command will here be plainh^ and truly 
told. It will place beyond doubt or cavil the record of 
men, patriotic in their intentions and acts — devoted to their 
countr}- when her need was the sorest. 

The men of the Seventeenth are scattered like their com- 
rades of the great army of the Union, throughout the land 
whose integrity they aided to preserve, or, again, like 
many of their comrades, have passed over to the increasing 
majority. This record \\\\\ cheer the survi\-ors and give 
deserved honor to the memory of the dead. 



128 SEVENTKENTIf NEW HAM PS III RE R EC EM E NT. 

Those' of lis who ri'uiain will, 1 am surt:, preserve to the 
end the loyal spirit of comradeship peculiar to soldiers and 
fiill\- maiiift-sl amoiiL; the men of " ( )iii"s," feeling' just satis- 
faction and pride thai the state and nation they essayed to 
ser\i-, ha\c in full and ample manner reco<^nizecl our 
endca\dr made at a lime when enlistnu-nt and oi)i'dience 
were the tests of loyalty and ])atriotism ; and in this volume 
has ;^iven to comrades of the war, and surxivors of those 
glorious days, and to the- new i^eneration, this story of 
what was attenipted and accomplished by the Seventeenth 
New ilampshirt- V^)lunlee|■ Infantry. 

LaNCASTI'IR, N. II., June 1.S9.S. 



CHAITICR XXVI. 
The Adjutan'i's Rkport. 

By AnjT. GEORGE A. WAIWVKIGHT. 

I joined the Seventeenth ReL(iment as adjutant in Octo- 
ber, 1862; and as drill-master to the officers .of the h'ne ; 
became intimately acquainted with them, and recoj^jnized in 
them competent and, in all respects, efficient officers. 

Col. Kent was fitted by military education and natural 
talent and tact for a commanding officer. It was a deep 
rej^rct to all that justice was not done him and our regi- 
ment by allowin<^ us to take an active part in the war. 

Lieut. -Col. Long had been a captain in the " fighting 
Fifth" and was wounded at Antietam. Maj. G. IL Bellows 
was a lieutenant in the Twenty-second New York and I be- 
lieve was in the surrender at Harper's Ferry, Va. Lieut. 
Farr of Co. B was also in the service previous to joining 
the Seventeenth Regiment. Among the non-commissioned 
officers and men there was a large number of veterans. 

I first entered the service in April, 1861, as second lieu- 
tenant, Company I, Sixth Indiana Volunteers, serving in 
West Virginia, taking part in the Battles of Fhillippi, Laurel 
Hill, and Carricks' Ford. We returned to Indiana in August, 
and immediately organized the Thirty-ninth Regiment, in 
which I was first lieutenant, Company I. I was soon 
appointed adjutant of that regiment, and served as such 
until after the Battle of Shiloh, when I was obliged to leave 
the service on account of wounds, in June, 1862. After 
serving as adjutant of the Seventeenth New Hampshire 
Volunteers to the time of its disbandment, I was appointed 
9 



130 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 



senior first lieutenant of Company A, New Hampshire 
Heavy Artillery, of which Col. C. H. Long had been 
made captain. We were stationed at Fort Constitution, 
New Hampshire, for several months, and then sent to the 
defences of Washington, D. C. On the organization of the 
regiment, Captain Long was made colonel and I was senior 
major. I served as brigade quartermaster, also as inspector- 
general and mustering officer, being on some staff duty 
until the final muster-out in June, 1865. 

Many of the non-commissioned offtcers of the Seven- 
teenth joined Company A 
of the artillery, and proved 
themselves soldiers any 
one might feel proud to 
command ; especially so 
as in garrison duty dis- 
cipline is not so easily 
reached as in active ser- 
vice. The record of the 
men of the Seventeenth 
New Hampshire Volun- 
teers, who were transfer- 
red to the Second and 
Fifth Regiments, New 
Hampshire Volunteers, 
jM-t)ved them to be equal 
to the old veterans, and 
the Seventeenth can well 
claim a larce share of the 




AnjT. Gkorge a. Wainwright. 



credit, as those men were well drilled and disciplined in the 
Seventeenth. 

It is with a good deal of j)ride that I refer to the tlisci- 
pline of the Seventeenth Regiment while in Concord, and I 
well remember that Major Whittlesey, United States Army, 
said it was the best regiment that had been in Concord. 



THE ADJUTANT'S REPORT. 131 

We received credit, also, for a review given in the city of 
Concord. It was excellent, and, considering the difficulties 
we labored under, was far better than could have been 
expected. We shall always remember and recall with 
pleasure our camp life in Concord, and the many excellent 
soldiers connected with it. 

There was the genial and accommodating Elder Hook, 
who kept the pie-stand, and whom the boys used to harass 
somewhat. I believe the old gentleman is still preach- 
ing Adventism, and has long ago forgiven the boys for 
their pranks. The smoking out of our worthy chaplain by 
placing a board over the top of the chimney will, perhaps, 
be still remembered. There were various infringements of 
discipline by " Dusty," who finally got a job of sawing 
wood for Warden Foss at the state prison. 

We cannot forget the smiling George Saunders, nor shall 
I forget our ride on horseback in winter from Concord to 
Claremont, and to Hanover. 

Those were pleasant times, indeed, never to be forgotten, 
but how much more we should have enjoyed being in active 
service, and more closely cementing the bonds which natu- 
rally and irresistibly bind together old soldiers. 

In closing this brief and not very interesting reminiscence, 
I heartily thank all with whom I was connected, and our 
colonel especially. I can say that among all my associ- 
ations officially, I never met an ofificer to whom I was more 
strongly attached, and next to himself I feci the injustice 
done the Seventeenth Regiment. I am glad that at a later 
day partial justice was done him and the regiment b)' con- 
gress. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 
The Quartermaster's Returns. 

By EDWARD N. CUMMINGS. 

When the war came in 1861 it found nie engaged in 
commercial business at Colebrook. April 20th, of that 
year, our first child was born, who declares that he came 
as soon as his wardrobe could be made ready after Sumter 
was fired upon. 

I had aspired to a collegiate education in my }'outhful 
days, but injured my e}-es by over-study and after years of 
trouble lost the sight of one, and in sixty-one was not able 
to pass the ph}-sical examination required for military 
service. 

After the Seventeenth was authorized, its field officers 
selected, and when arrangements for ordering it into camp 
were in progress, Hon. Ethan Colb}' of Colebrook (one of 
the state's best men, in the best sense of the term), one 
of Governor Berry's council, asked me if I would accept the 
position of quartermaster of that regiment, and the position 
being offered me I at once accepted, sold my business to 
my father-in-law, S. R. Merrill, who was ni}^ partner, and 
in due time started for Concord. The regiment being 
about to go into camj) in November, 1862, the quarter- 
master was needed to make provision for the men as they 
should arrive from the sections where they were recruited. 

I found the Fifteenth and Si.xteenth regiments in camp 
on the fair grounds, occupying barracks erected for troops 
as they assembled to be drilled, mustered, and then sent to 



THE QUARTERMASTER'S RETURNS. 



133 



the front. The Seventeenth could not march in until one 
of these regiments should leave. I could do no business 
until mustered, so armed with my commission from the 
governor as Quartermaster, Seventeenth New Hampshire 
Volunteers, I went to the ofifice of Colonel Eastman, a 
retired officer of the regular army (on duty as mustering 
ofificer), took the required oath, and was a quartermaster 
without a regiment or a 
regimental comrade of any 
kind. I at once made 
requisition for what would 
be required when the reg- 
iment should begin to as- 
semble. There were cer- 
tain things that belonged 
to the United States essen- 
tial to the camp, that were 
handed from one quarter- 
master to another. When 
the Fifteenth and Sixteenth 
broke camp, I receipted 
for these articles and came 
into possession, with no 
one but myself on guard. 
If anything, I lost but lit- 
tle, and was able to turn 




Edward N. Cummings, Q. M. 



everything over to the proper ofTicer when I mustered out. 
I found the quartermaster business much like what I left at 
home, commercial, therefore quite congenial. 

Officers and men soon began to arrive, and I found 
plenty to do to supply their wants. 

Army regulations allowed a given amount of wood for 
each ofificer, company, and guard-fires when the weather 
became cold, and much fuel was required. I laid the 
matter before Colonel Eastman. He said if I furnished 



134 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

more than regulations allowed I should be obliged to pay for 
it myself. 

I received the requisitions from the ofificcrs for what was 
allowed and furnished them all the fuel they required, 
keeping a careful note of the amount furnished and al- 
lowed, to see how I was coming out, and found the full 
allowance was not being used. When we broke camp and 
I settled my accounts, if my memor}^ serves, there was 
more than one thousand dollars balance on the credit side 
of my account on fuel alone. That is, I held requisitions 
for that amount more than I had furnished. 

I was also ahead on clothing and several other things. 
I had no difficulty in turning over the surplus and getting 
a discharge on these lines. With forage it was not so. I 
had furnished forage for the horses of the colonel and his 
staff prior to their muster in, and was called upon to 
reimburse for forage so furnished, but the state was liable 
for the bill to me, and the United States in turn liable to 
the state. 

The trouble was the United States had not paid the bill 
in the formal way. I stated the case to the governor and 
council, also to the department at Washington, calling 
their attention to my account and the fact that the}' would 
find the credit side much the larger, and that it would 
make no difference as in the end the United States would 
have it to pay just the same. I never heard an}'thing more 
about it, and in due time received my certificate of non 
liability as quartermaster in the service of the United 
States. 

The Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Regiments 
were to have been recruited in the First, Second, and 
Third Congressional Districts, respectively. There was 
trouble in filling the F"ifteenth and Sixteenth from the 
I'^irst and Second Districts, and men were taken from the 
Thirtl and in fact from the Seventeenth Regiment to fill 



THE QUARTERMASTER'S RETURNS. 135 

them. This left the Seventeenth with but a small part of 
the men assigned it. Governor Berry strongly objected to 
the reception of men from "substitute brokers" as they 
were called, a miserable class of recruits, many of whom were 
prophesied " bounty jumpers," and but very few were re- 
ceived in the Seventeenth, although all regiments were cursed 
with them during the later years of the war. On one occa- 
sion one of this class confined in the guard-house, it was 
thought set the straw that had been filled in between the 
outer and inner walls to make it warmer, on fire. The 
guard-house together with the stable which joined was 
consumed. When the horses were removed the straw was 
on fire under them. Quite a number of rifles were in the 
guard-house loaded. After a little they began to dis- 
charge, and for a short time the Seventeenth was really 
under fire, and no one was reported to have skulked or 
dodged. 

I have always been of the opinion that the Seventeenth 
was the victim of undeserved circumstances, and several of 
them at that, and that it would have done as good work as 
any regiment from the state if it had been its fortune to 
have eone to the front. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

The Surgeon's Diagnosis. 

By JAMES D. FOLSOM, M. D. 

In the gloomy days of 1862, when federal successes 
were at the minimum and even the most loyal of our 
people at times despaired, came the call of President 
Lincoln for 300,000 more troops. Coupled with this call 
was the proclamation of Governor Berry, asking the speedy 
enlistment of New Hampshire's quota divided into three 
regiments corresponding to the three Congressional Dis- 
tricts. I was in the Third District, and the regiment 
assigned to us was the Seventeenth. Its commanding 
officer, Colonel Kent, was, and for many years had been, a 
warm personal friend of mine. He urged me strongly to 
join his staff as surgeon, and I, from confidence in the 
colonel's ability and military prestige, as well as from a 
desire on my part to do whatever might be of service to 
the country in its perilous days, decided to accept the 
appointment and was accordingly mustered into the service 
shortly after the arrival of the regiment in Concord in the 
fall of 1862. My assistant surgeons were Dr. L. C. Bean 
of Lebanon and Dr. H. N. Small of Lancaster. 

The large flat plateau, known as Concord Plains, upon 
which our regiment encamped, was from a sanitary stand- 
point all that could have been desired. The ground was 
dry, the air clear and bracing, and the drainage excellent. 
We had a snug little hospital building, fitted out with what- 
ever was needful for possible sickness or accidents ; but the 
surroundings were so healthful, and the stringent orders 



THE SURGEON'S DIAGNOSIS. 



137 



issued by the colonel for policing the quarters, and the 
observance of sanitary rules so rigidly enforced, we had 
but little sickness at any time during the winter, and only 
one death, that of a Portsmouth man belonging to Com- 
pany B, resulting from 
peritonitis caused by eat- 
ing frozen apples which he 
obtained by running the 
guard at night. In view of 
the fact that we w^ere in 
camp during the most 
inclement months of the 
year, that our men were 
quartered in barracks ex- 
posed to every wind and 
storm, by no means infre- 
quent in their coming, it is 
a most commendable com- 
mentary upon the ofificers 
and discipline of the regi- 
ment, that such general 
good health prevailed. 

Our hospital steward 
was A. L. Robinson of Lancaster, a fine old gentleman 
whose age did not impair his ability to perform military 
duty, except when engaged with his pipe and tobacco. 
Of the circumstances which led to the final dissolution of 
the old Seventeenth as a regiment this history will else- 
where doubtless give full particulars, and place the re- 
sponsibility where it properly belongs. We of the staff 
enlisted for service, and as it was our intention and expec- 
tation to faithfully perform our duties in the field, it was 
with deepest regret and bitter disappointment that we 
were finally obliged to relinquish our good intentions, and 
submit to the final muster out. The regiment had every 




James 1). Folsom, M. I). 



138 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 



element to insure a brilliant and honorable future had it 
been permitted to go to the front. Its ofificers were men 
of more than ordinary ability and military experience, and 
its men were of the best material to be found in the 
Granite State. 

When our men were taken to fill the ranks of the 
Second, which had come home to recruit, being badly 
„ _ decimated. Doctor Bean 



g^ illill IIK ISS^^'^ 



.1 and I came home. Doc- 
tor Small was assigned sur- 
geon of the Tenth Regi- 
ment and went to the front 
where he so distinguished 
himself in surgery that he 
was detailed as special op- 
erator, serving until the 
close of the war. On his 
return home he located in 
»^ Portland, Maine, where he 
had a large and successful 
practice until his death in 
1886. Dr. Bean returned 
to Lebanon, but after a 
time drifted west, and is 
now in successful practice 
in Waukegan, 111. 
As for myself, I returned to Lancaster, and a few years 

later removed to St. Johnsbur}', Vt., where I have since 

resided in the practice of my profession. 




H. N. Small, M. D. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 
Reminiscences. 

By Rev. GEO. S. BARNES, Chaplain. 

I heartily approve of the effort to have some proper his- 
toric record of the Seventeenth New Hampshire Regiment. 
Its history was brief but patriotic. That it had no record 
at the front is no fault of ofificers or men ; they all desired 
it — were impatient to be there. Every new recruit was 
hailed with joy at Camp Ethan Colby because his coming 
increased the probabilit}' of active work. Through weary 
winter months we waited for the complement of numbers 
that we might be mustered into the service. 

We were hungry, not for " tack and coffee," but for full 
companies and the field. Because the of^cers were young 
they were called "The Governor's Babies; " but there was 
no want of manliness or soldierly qualities. The only rea- 
son why they did not signalize themselves in the field, was 
for the want of an opportunity. The quota of the state 
was full, and the old Second, greatly depleted in numbers, 
desired to have its ranks refilled, so the secretary of war 
ordered consolidation, and the Seventeenth ceased to be, 
that the old Second might achieve new honors. 

The vacancies in the field and staff were to be filled by 
officers of the Seventeenth, quite a concession to " The 
Governor's Babies," especially as there was just one 
vacancy ! So these brave officers " folded their tents like 
the Arab," and returned to civil life. Lieutenant-Colonel 
Charles H. Long, Adjutant Wainwright, and Chaplain 



140 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

Barnes later entered the service, sharing the fortunes of 
war till its close. 

But the Seventeenth was not without experience ; it 
stood the siege of a northern winter in board barracks ; 
but rations were plenty, and the routine of camp life was 
observed without complaint, and this, in connection with 
the uncertainties of active service, was a more serious test 
of soldierly qualities than active service would have been. 
There was one battle in which Colonel Kent exhibited rare 
courage. Dofifing the eagle and the blue, he challenged the 
"boys" in unequal conflict, and the snowballs made the 
battle hot! 

Colonel Kent was a leader with rare soldierly qualities, 
well equipped for the service, commanding the highest 
esteem of ofificers and men. 

The honors of the regiment came to the enlisted men 
who yielded their preference for their own organization, 
and fought for the same flag under other leaders, for the 
cause dear to all. 

It having been suggested that, the design of the Regi- 
mental History will properly include reminiscent notes of 
those connected with it, I indulge in a few. Among the 
most interesting experiences of my life after the " consoli- 
dation," were some in connection with a six weeks' service 
in the Christian Commission in the general hospital at City 
Point, Va. On reporting for duty I was first sent as special 
messenger with supplies to Deep Bottom, up the James river. 
The battle of Deep Bottom was then in progress. As the 
steamer approached the scene of conflict, the most fearful 
thunderstorm I ever witnessed burst upon us, accompanied 
with heavy wind. The scene was terrific. The comming- 
ling of earthly and heavenly artillery was such that at times 
they could not be distinguished. The captain, fearing dis- 
aster, ran the steamer against the bank and waited till the 
storm had sjjcnt its finy. 



THE CHAPLAIN'S REMINISCENCES. 



141 



Having transferred the supplies, I immediately provided 
myself with a pail of ice-water, brandy, a cup and sponge, 
pins and bandages, and entered upon the work of relief. 
The wounded were brought to the rear near the river, and 
laid in lines by division. It was my first experience, and 
one that words can never describe. I was overwhelmed 
with the terriblcness of human slaughter. The remaining 
hours of the day were the most intense of my life. My 
soul was on fire ! Forgetting that I was without authority, 
only an accident on the 
battlefield, citizen and sol- 
dier alike found himself 
subject to my orders. 

Immediate attention 
would not only relieve suf- 
fering, but often save life. 
A few incidents will sug- 
gest the work and experi- 
ences of the day. At one 
point I found a soldier 
with a fearful wound in 
the shoulder, bare to the 
burning sun. Surprised at 
seeing a soldier standing 
idly by, I said, " What are 
you standing there for?" 
"Why," said he, "what 
can I do? " " Do? " I re- 
plied, " get help, and get this poor fellow into the shade." 
Instantly he was at his best. I was " fresh," and did not 
realize that a trained soldier waits for orders. 

The thing most grateful to the wounded is cold water to 
drink and on the wound. Going from man to man, afford- 
ing this relief, appalled by the scene, I was amazed that 
the wounded did not share this feeling with me. Wrought 




Rev. Geo. S. IJarnes. 



142 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT 

up by the experience of the battle, they were less sensible 
of their condition and surroundings. One young man, 
himself facing death, exclaimed, "O! I'd like to give the 
rebs another clip." 

Another was very profane, and I gently rebuked him for 
such indulgence in the presence of dying comrades, but he 
swore all the more. I saw my mistake, and in a moment, 
passing by others, poured cold water on his wound ; there 
was no more profanity. 

Returning to City Point, Superintendent Williams 
assigned me to the Cavalry Corps hospital, the most dififi- 
cult post in the service, several delegates having been driven 
out by the executive and imperious Scotch surgeon in 
charge. Going directly to him, I inquired how I could 
make myself most useful. " You take care of the souls, 
and we will take care of the bodies," he replied. My work 
was plain and proved most interesting in character. 
Memory is crowded with incidents of profound interest to 
me. Perhaps I may indulge in one or two. One morning 
the surgeon sent for me, and, on entering his offtce, he 
introduced me to a lady who had come with a sister's 
heart and a trunk full of goodies for a brother, an ofificer 
who had died an hour before her arrival. She desired to 
know of his spiritual condition, a matter of deep interest to 
her. Some days before his death, it had been my privilege 
to put in his lips the words of pra\er b\- which he turned 
to the Lord, and it was a great jjrivilege to assure her that 
he died in great peace. The work of the Christian and 
Sanitary commissions were of untold \alue to our sick and 
wounded soldiers. 

At the close of ni\' labors in that field, I went to the 
front to see what could be done for our New Hampshire 
regiments. While there I was surprised at being informed 
that I had been elected chaplain of the 29th United States 
Colored Infantrv. 



THE CHAPLAIN'S REMINISCENCES. 1 43 

Later in the fall of 1864, I joined ni)- regiment at Ber- 
muda Hundrcdj where General Butler was " hermeticall}' 
sealed." We were on the line of works near Petersburg 
and frequentl}' rifle bullets signalled the nearness of the 
enemy. 

Friends at home determined that the New Hampshire 
boys should have turkey for Thanksgiving. It was not 
difficult to persuade several ofificers to accompany me to 
City Point and secure one for our mess. Cook Billy was 
charged with the preparation, but before the festal hour 
a rebel shell exploded in our quarters. Quartermaster 
Gosper lost a leg, torn all to pieces. Major Brown re- 
ceived a contused wound in the shoulder, and Chaplain 
Barnes a wound — cut within one fourth inch of a large 
artery. 

It was my privilege to share the joy of victory at Peters- 
burg, and then at Appomattox Court House, seeing 
Generals Grant and Lee in one of their interviews. Subse- 
quently we were sent to western Texas, as an arm\' of 
observation in the Rio Grande, getting our discharge in 
November, 1865. Resuming ni)' life-work, I located in 
Michigan. When sixt}'-three }'ears had passed, I retired to 
private life. From a pleasant home in Petoskey I look out 
on the waters of Lake Michigan, and the glorious sunsets 
remind me of " the home over there." 



CHAPTER XXX. 

Company A, ijth Regiment N. H. V. 

By Capt. JARED I. WILLIAMS. 

"Three years or during the war" was constantly staring 
in the face those who wished to give their aid to their 
country, but who from business and family engagements 
could not see their way clear to enlist for so long a period ; 
when, however, the call came for nine months and there 
was a prospect of going to the front in a new regiment the 
young men of Coos gladly accepted the call. 

In October, 1862, the recruiting flag was raised over the 
Old luigine House at Lancaster, and an ofificc opened which 
was the nucleus of Co. A, Seventeenth Regiment. As fast 
as we enlisted and new recruits came in from the surround- 
ing towns, the daily drill and roll call was established. 
The drill, consisting of Squad drill and the School of the 
Soldier, was under the direction of Charles N. Kent who 
had just come from Norwich University, and who after- 
wards became first lieutenant of Compan\- C. Thus was 
laid the foundation of that soldierly training of Company 
A which afterwards on the field of Gettysburg won the 
praise of their commander. Colonel Bailey of the Second 
New Hampshire Volunteers. With daih' drill and roll call, 
receiving every few days new recruits, we passed the time 
till November when we were ordered to report at Concord, 
l^nlistments were difficult to obtain at this time, as the 
bounties paid b\' towns were small (vf/q.oo being the 
average), and the news from the front was discouraging. 



COMPANY A, SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT. 



H5 



being mostly of reverses sustained by the Union troops. 
The early impressions that a few men could march through 
the South and conquer the Confederacy had long been dis- 
pelled, and the government was hesitating about ordering 
a draft. Under these circumstances the recruits we received 
were men actuated by patriotism who were willing to sacri- 
fice all for their country's need. 

When the order to report at Concord was received, the 
company by vote chose their officers and on the 19th of 
November left Lancaster 
in the early morning, going 
to Littleton some twenty 
miles by stage, thence on 
the C.& M. R. R. to Con- 
cord where we went into 
camp in the barracks on 
the old fair groimd. Here 
we found recruits from 
Portsmouth (afterwards 
Company B) and the Six- 
teenth Regiment nearl}- 
ready for regimental mus- 
ter. On the 22d we 
marched to the state house 
where sixty-eight men with 
First Lieutenant Brackett 

were mustered into the 

TT V J C4- i • r\ Capt. Tared I. Williams. 

United States service. Un ^ 

the 26th the captain and second lieutenant were mustered, 
completing the organization of Company A. Uniforms and 
equipments were issued, and we were armed with Belgian 
muskets captured on a blockade runner. 

The routine of camp life was at once commenced. Morn- 
ing roll call, guard mount, hospital and police calls, officers 
and company drill, dress parade, and all the duties of army 
10 




146 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

life were attended to with systematic strictness and were 
closely adhered to until the final transfer to the Second New 
Hampshire Volunteers on April i6th, 1863. Colonel Kent 
by special order from the governor had his field and staff 
and took personal command of the camp. Colonel Kent 
was a graduate of Norwich University and in addition to 
his military training was possessed of those systematic and 
business qualities which at once secured the discipline that 
characterized the regiment. No detail was too small for 
his personal attention, and no emergency was so perplexing 
but that he at once found a ready solution. I well recollect a 
conversation I had on the evening of April i6th, after the 
muster out of the ofificers and the transfer of the men to the 
2d Regiment, with Major Whittlesey, U. S. A., who \\as 
then in charge of the station at Concord ; he said that in 
all his long military service he had never performed a duty 
so distasteful to him as the disbanding of the Seventeenth 
Regiment, as he had never met with a volunteer of^cer 
whom he considered so well qualified to command as Colonel 
Kent. 

Of the men that formed Company A, it can be safely 
said that the state of New Hampshire sent no men to the 
front during the war who surpassed them. They enlisted 
from patriotic motives uninfluenced by bounties and fully 
appreciating the dangers that awaited them — during all the 
time from their muster into service, until they were trans- 
ferred to the Second Regiment through all the uncertainty 
of months of camp life — located near the city with its temp- 
tations to dissipation and neglect of duty, daily excited b)' 
rumors, now of being sent to the front as a detachment, 
now of the regiment being filled, and again that the regi- 
ment was to be disbanded and the men scattered as re- 
cruits to the old regiments, they maintained a gentle- 
manly and soldierly conduct to the last, never forgetting 
their promise of obedience to orders they had made in 



COMPANY A, SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT. 1 47 

their enlistment oaths, and though they posted the notice 
on their cook house, "The Seventeenth or nothing," yet 
when the trial came and on April i6th we had the last roll 
call and marched across the parade to the quarters of the 
Second Regiment and separated, a part to return home, 
with all their anticipations of honors and military glory 
thwarted, and a part to endure for the remaining time of 
their enlistment, the worst of all trials of a soldier's life, that 
of being a recruit in a veteran regiment, each one obeyed 
promptly the order from the war department at Washing- 
ton of April 1st, 1863, though each one could not avoid 
the feeling that injustice had been done. Their subsequent 
history proved their sterling qualities — the first blood shed 
at Gettysburg on July 2d in the Second New Hampshire 
Regiment was that of a Company A man, George VV. Tib- 
betts of Brookfield ; and five of our men, viz., Geo. W. 
Tibbetts of Brookfield, John C. Moore of Lancaster, Edgar 
Hammond of Tamworth, Joseph Kiley of Whitefield, and 
Kendall W. Cofran of Seabrook, were killed on the field 
of battle. (Besides these, I am confident were Rufus E. 
Hodgdon of Shelburne and Shepherd B. Cram of Dalton, 
making seven in all as the mortality of the Seventeenth 
men.) 



Company A, Seventeenth Regiment. 

By First Lieut. JAMES S. BRACKETT. 

When it was understood that Col. Henry Oakes Kent 
of Lancaster would take command of the Seventeenth Regi- 
ment, to be raised in the northern and western parts of the 
state, there was much enthusiasm manifested by the patri- 
otic citizens of this portion of New Hampshire, knowing, 
as they did, that a good deal of the best material was left, 
of which to form a regiment that would do honor to the 
state, under a commander who had in a great degree the 



148 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT 

confidence of its citizens and was known to be eminently 
qualified for the position. 

One full company was to be raised in Lancaster and its 
immediate vicinity ; accordingly, in the early part of Sep- 
tember, 1862, Jared I. Williams and James S. Brackett, both 
of Lancaster, were authorized to open a recruiting office in 
that town. Rooms were secured on the second floor of the 
old fire engine house on Middle street, adequate for the 
purpose, big posters were displayed, notices in the papers 
of the town and county announced in glowing terms the 
fact that all patriotic citizens of legal age, of the required 
weight and height, and in good ph}'sical and mental con- 
dition, had here an opportunity to show their patriotism 
and their devotion to the country and flag, by enlisting in 
the service of the United States for the period of nine 
months. 

Young men soon presented themseh-es, and it was evi- 
dent that there was no lack of enthusiasm or material to 
enlist enough men to make a company of the maximum 
number very quickl\'. In the mean time the selectmen of 
the town called a meeting to see what action should be 
taken in the matter of offering a bounty, to encoin-age 
enlistments, to those who should enlist and b(~ mustered 
into the United States service. The meeting was a large 
and enthusiastic one, and the discussion was almost entirely 
favorable to giving a small bounty. The town voted by a 
very large majorit)' to give a bounty of sevent}'-fi\'e dollars 
to soldiers sufficient to fill the quota of the town, who 
should be mustered into the scrx'ice for nine months. 

This vote of the town did not do much to stimulate 
enlistments, for the boys were full of patriotic fervor, and a 
service for so short a time as nine months did not seem such 
a mighty hardship to their }'outhful imaginations; but I 
remember well how tlianktull}" the iuone\' was received b}' 
the boys in Concord, when the chairman of the board of 



COMPANY A, SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT. 



149 



selectmen of Lancaster appeared in camp to pay it to 
them. 

By the first of October almost enough men had enlisted 
for a full company. Shelburne, Gorham, Randolph, Jeffer- 
son, Northumberland, Carroll, Dalton, and Whiteiield had 
each contributed a few men. 

The duties of recruiting ofBcer were left to J. S. Brackett 
principally, owing to the fact that Mr. Williams had exten- 
sive business affairs to put 
in order. While the enlist- 
ing of this company was 
going on, there were many 
little episodes which of 
course would disturb the 
gravity of the situation, 
like the following : A man 
living in one of the remote 
districts of the town, came 
into the recruiting ofifice, 
one morning, ready to en- 
list, but he was accom- 
panied by his wife, who 
objected, that though the 
bounty offered might do 
for a single man, "it's 
ne'er eno' for a man wi ' a 
wee wife." Mr. Brackett 




First Lieut. James S. Brackett. 



did not feel disposed to give a bonus to any one, and sent 
for Mr. Williams, who came in, and after much talk, which 
bordered largely upon the comical, he consented to give 
her out of his own pocket $5, and the "wee wife," — by 
the way, she would weigh 180 pounds — was satisfied, and 
said " Now, Jamie, my bonnie mon, ye can ge to the war, 
but mind and coom back." He did go to the war, and 
acted his part manfully and well on the battlefield of Get- 



ISO 



SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 



tysburg, as a " bonnie " Scotsman would, and came back 
to his wife, and is a respected citizen of our town. 

About the latter part of the month Charles N. Kent, then 
a cadet at Norwich University, commenced drilling the men 
on the ground, afterwards, in June, 1864, purchased and 
dedicated as Centennial Park. The men took a manl\' and 
even soldierly interest in these exercises. Mr. Kent was 
materially aided in his work by John G. Derby, who was 

considered one of the best 
drilled men in Coos county, 
and who had acted as drill- 
master of the first company 
^■■■j^ of soldiers enlisted, which 

^^^^BB^jT- was Company F of the fa- 

^H ^^^ mous Second Regiment. 

^1 ^S^ WO^^K" As the time approached 

^ for the company to report 

at Concord, it was decided 
that the men should desig- 
nate their choice for ofifi- 
cers b\' a free and open 
ballot. The town hall, 
which was then open at 
all times for "war meet- 
ings," was chosen as the 

place where the election 

First Skrct. John G. Derby. , 111 111 1 1^1 

•' should be held, and the 

time of the meeting was announced. There was a full 
attendance of the enlisted men, and many of the towns- 
people were present who were more or less interested in the 
result. 

It was conceded on all hands that Jared Irving Williams 
should be the captain of the company, and he was accord- 
ingly unanimousl}' clectctl to the position. For first lieu- 
tenant there were three candidates, John G. Derb}', Joseph 



COMPANY A, SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT. 151 

Chase, and James S. Brackett. Mr. Brackctt was elected 
by a good majority upon the first ballot. Joseph Chase 
was elected second lieutenant. 

Lieutenant Chase was a young man of fine appearance 
and soldierly qualities, and was a very efficient and excellent 
officer. He was afterwards drowned in Connecticut river at 
Northumberland Falls, while endeavoring to warp a flat 
boat up over the dam, and a whole community was 
shocked, and his loss was sincerely mourned. 

It was now a time of general activity among men and 
ofificers. The drills were kept up as much as possible, 
tactics were studied, and every one tried to make 
himself as proficient as possible in the "art of war," and 
arrangements were made so that farms and other business 
interests could be left with as little loss as possible. 

On the Sunday preceding the day on which the com- 
pany was to leave town for camp, where they were sup- 
posed to face the clangers and hardships of real war, a 
union religious service was held in the Orthodox Congre- 
gational church, for the especial good and edification of 
the " boys." The Reverend Prescott Fay delivered the 
sermon, taking his text from Luke, chapter iii, verse 14: 
"And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And 
what shall we do? And he said unto them. Do violence to 
no man, neither accuse an}' falsely, and be content with 
your wages." 

The day of separation came for the soldiers of Company 
A. There was then no railroad between Lancaster and 
Littleton, and William Wallace Lindsay was the proprietor 
of the stage route between the two places. On the event- 
ful morning in November, quite a crowd of citizens had 
gathered about the hotels in the village to see them 
off. The parting with wives, sisters, and sweethearts 
witnessed the same passionate, regretful scenes so often 
told in song and story. The coaches and other vehicles 



152 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMTSHIRE REGIMENT 

were drawn up in front of the Lancaster House, and as the 
boys gave their parting adieus and the vehicles conveying 
them drew away, the assembled citizens sent up hearty 
cheers, and the "God bless you boys" was long remem- 
bered. The ride to Littleton was uneventful, but at the 
station the boys were met by a crowd of the good citizens 
of that town who had assembled to greet these new recruits 
for the Army of the Potomac and bid them God speed. 
Arrived at Plymouth a dinner served for the most part in 
the cars was pro\'ided. Arriving at the Concord station 
the boys formed in two ranks upon the platform and made 
a very creditable appearance, although not a uniform was 
seen among the men, and as the company marched up 
Main street and on the Free Bridge road to Camp P^than 
Colby, where they were quartered, and where they waited 
as a company, duly enlisted and mustered into the United 
States service, to take their place in the regiment under the 
officers of their choice, for six long, weary months, only to 
be disappointed and chagrined, it was remarked by many 
that no finer looking or better appearing men had gone 
into camp than Company A, Seventeenth Regiment New 
Hampshire Volunteers. 

Arrived at camp, they found there " Compan\- B," or the 
Portsmouth compan)% under Capt. Lsaac P". Jcnness, and 
that evening blankets and muskets were given out, and the 
old barracks received the boys. Guard mount was ordered, 
the details made, and these boys, fresh from their country 
homes, patroled their beats with the precision and \'igilance 
of veterans. 

The breaking up of the command was pathetic. To be 
obliged to leave the boys who had stood by them so faith- 
fully was a keen disapi)ointmcnt to many of the officers, 
and some of them shed tears of vexation and regret. It 
was a bitter experience for true and loyal men to endure. 
Thirty-five years have passed since that time of dismal dis- 



COMPANY A, SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT. 1 53 

appointment, and those who wroni^fuUy planned have gone, 
so the veil of forgetfidness should be drawn, but the proud 
record the brave boys of the Seventeenth made in camp, 
on march, and on the bloody field of Gettysburg will never 
be forgotten. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

Company B, Seventeenth New Hampshire Regiment. 

(Contributed.) 

When, by order of His Excellency, Governor Berry, it 
was decreed that New Hampshire's quota under President 
Lincoln's call for 300,000 men should be apportioned to 
the three congressional districts, — one full regiment to each 
— a request was made by worthy citizens of Portsmouth that 
they might be permitted to recruit a company in that city, 
which was in the First District, for the Seventeenth New 
Hampshire, assigned by the governor to the Third District. 
The explanation of this action ma}' be found in the fact 
that Colonel Kent, who was to command the Seventeenth, 
was stationed at an earlier period of the war in Portsmouth, 
was largely engaged in organizing the Second Regiment 
there, and had made for himself a large number of 
acquaintances and friends in and about the city. The 
request was granted ; recruiting ofifices for the proposed 
company were opened at once, and almost before Com- 
pany A, in Lancaster, the banner town of the Third 
District, reported a full complement of men, Company B 
had filled its ranks, completed its organization, and was 
ready for muster. It arrived in camp the da\' after Com- 
pany A. 

Of its ofificers, Captain Isaac l'\ Jenncss, elected by unani- 
mous vote to command the company, enlisted as a private, 
and was promoted on account of his militar\' fitness and 
executive ability as a commanding officer. He was a thor- 



COMPANY B, SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT. 



155 



ough soldier and strict disciplinarian. First Lieutenant 
Frank D. Webster was a gentleman of large acquaintance, 
residing in Portsmouth, popular in his company, and 
respected in the regiment. He afterwards served honor- 
ably in the marine corps, 
where he was promoted for 
meritorious action to the 
rank of captain. Second 
Lieutenant Ammi Farr had 
previously served in the 
Sixth New Hampshire. 
He enlisted in the Seven- 
teenth as a private, and 
was elected by popular 
vote to the office accorded 
him. The sergeants, Clar- 
ence S. Gray, Charles A. 
Grant, George H. Ham, 
Christopher W. Harrold, 
and Samuel P. Holt, were 
all good men and efificient 
officers. Sergt. Hale Chadwick, Co. C. 

Company B was enlisted for service first of all, and every 
man in the ranks was cut out for a soldier. There were 
no " home guards " among them, they were rather of the 
"cow-boy" persuasion, and perhaps, in some respects, not 
unlike the well known " Teddy's Terrors " of Cuban and 
Spanish reputation. Had they been permitted to go to war 
in their original organization they would have proved them- 
selves invincible ; going as they did, however, as individual 
members of different companies in the old Second, their 
record is one to be proud of, and their deeds of daring 
take rank with those of any veteran in the regiment adopt- 
insf them. 




CHAPTER XXXII. 

Company C, Seventeenth New Hampshire Regiment. 

By Capt. C. S. brown. 

I preferred to enter the service from my native state, New 
Hampshire, and started with pleasure to assist in organiz- 
ing the Seventeenth Regiment. I labored faithfully in 
camp and out, from November, 1862, to April, 1863, with- 
out muster, and, of course, without pa}\ 

I took into camp about thirty as good, young, active 
and intelligent soldiers as ever shouldered a gun, and re- 
mained with them nearly 
six months, hoping to 
have the honor of com- 
manding a company from 
the state I was and am so 
proud of. 

The organization of 
Compan)' C, so far as per- 
fected, was, first lieutenant, 
Charles N. Kent ; second 
lieutenant, Josiah Bellows ; 
first sergeant, John G. 
Derby; sergeant. Hale 
Chadwick ; corporal, Jas. 
S. Townsend. 

I was proud of the ofifi- 

cers of the regiment as 

Capt. C. S. Brown. gentlemen of culture, tal- 




COMPANY C, SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT 



157 



ents, and integrit}-, and 
capable of meeting an\' 
emergency in the line of 
peace or war. The oflficers 
were united and the sol- 
diers truly patriotic. With 
such a nucleus, the regi- 
ment, full}' organized, 
would have made a record 
the state would have been 
proud of. 

Previous to joining the 
Seventeenth, I served in 
the Rhode Island Cavalr}' 
(Seventh Squadron) as a 
sergeant, and after the 
consolidation of the Seven- 
teenth with the Second ^^^^^'^ Lieut. Charles N. Kent. 
Regiment, I organized and commanded the First Battalion 
Maine Infantry V^olunteers, under the last call for troops, 
and was mustered out of service in April, 1866, as lieuten- 
ant-colonel. 

In 1865, when in command of the First Maine Battalion, 
my dutfes were varied, having been detailed on military 
commissions and assigned to the command of Western 
South Carolina under General Sickles. 

After the war I entered upon the practice of law in Mis- 
souri and Kansas ; was a member of the legislature in the 
latter state, and mayor of the cit)' of Coffeyville, where an 
end was put to the Dalton gang of robbers. 




The following incidents in camp life were related b\' Cap- 
tain Brown in a personal communication to the editor: 

When officer of the day making grand rounds, I found Ham of Com- 
pany B on guard, slightly in /its ctips. As I approached he halted me 



158 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

with " Who comes there? ■' and I replied, *' Officer of the day." He 
answered, "That's too thin; no officer of the day would be prowling 
around this time of night." He immediately cocked his gun and held 
me up until the corporal of the guard came and disarmed him. 

Surgeon Folsom came to the officers' quarters one day, early in the 
forenoon, and invited us all to the sutler's and gave us an unusual 
spread, much to our surprise, considering the hour. It was explained 
when he paid the bill from my pocket-book, which he had fortunately 
picked up in the snow. Bless him ! 

His honesty (if ever questioned) was then established. 

That reminds me of my first service in the army with Company " B" 
of students from Dartmouth College and Norwich University, in the 
Rhode Island Cavalry. 

The adjoining Company " A " was composed of Boston butcher boys 
and New Bedford whalers, in which toughness was much in evidence. 
On arriving in camp at Washington, carbines and blankets and other 
things were missing in Company A, and complaint was made by "A" 
boys against " B " boys to the major commanding, who asked the com- 
plainants if they really thought those Sunday-school children would 

steal. The whalers replied that "they were the d dest thieves in 

the army ; they can steal the s/iortetiiiig out of biscuit witlwiit breaking 
the criist.'''' 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 
Seventeenth Men in the Second Regiment. 

By Col. MARTIN A. HAYNES. 

Far from home, in employment which for weeks has 
allowed me not an hour of leisure; with my physical 
powers taxed to the utmost, in night and day dashes over 
a broad territory, the time I am now able to give as a 
tribute to the men of the Seventeenth is entirely inade- 
quate to do that duty as I would like to do it. As fine a 
body of men as ever wore the national blue ; active and 
honorable participants, bearing bravely their full share, in 
their short term of service, in some of the most momentous 
events in the national history, the record which will pre- 
serve to future generations the memory of their actions 
should have more careful preparation than I am able to 
give to the brief chapter allotted to me. 

Without a word or line of record at my disposal as now 
situated, I must depend entirely upon memory, and a mem- 
ory grown treacherous with advancing years. Acquaint- 
anceship that was fresh thirty-six years ago, has now faded 
from memory; and while I was then able, probably, to 
call b}' name every member of the Seventeenth serving in 
the Second, there now linger in memory only the names 
of a very few, which were fixed by some incident or associ- 
ation, or have been kept fresh by continued acquaintance 
since the war. And of these the brightest in my recollec- 
tion is that of him who by cruel fate was not permitted to 
lead these men to the field after he had gathered them 



l6o SEVENTEEiYTII NEiV HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 



about him from the farms and the workshops. My long- 
continued personal friendship with him is one of the 
choicest pleasures of my life. 

So I remember and think of the men of the Sev^enteenth, 
at this late da}-, not so much in an individual sense and by 

indi\"idual memories, as in 
the great concrete. I re- 
member, more than any- 
thing else, that when the 
Old Second, with its ranks 
depleted b}' two }'ears' ter- 
rible campaigning, needed 
m en an d needed them 
quickl}', there was put into 
its ranks in a body be- 
tween one hundred and 
two hundred men, clean, 
stalwart, patriotic sons of 

k'^F'''' % \ew Hampshire, who man- 

l fully swallowed the disap- 

■^ ^ pointment of losing their 

M\vn loved regimental or- 
ganization. We marched 
Col. Martin A. Haynes. 

together, and fought to- 
gether, and " drank from the same canteen." 

The glory achieved b\' the Second in the summer cam- 
paign of '63 belongs to them as much as to any one of the 
" old men " who had commenced at Bull Run on that 
fateful da\- in '61. On the march, in the camp, in the 
battle line, they never forgot that thc\' were " the Se\'en- 
tcenth men," and we " old men," such was their magnifi- 
cent quality, alwa\'s recognized them as worthy comrades 
and a worth)- part of the " Old Second." Sandwiched in 
among men who had stood in a dozen fierce fights — and 
■making a good thick Jill ing to the sandzvich, too — the)' 




SEVENTEENTH MEN IN SECOND REGIMENT. l6l 

went through the awful test of Gettysburg with all the 
heroism, all the " bang," and " vim," and all the cool, 
nerve-controlling steadiness of veteran troops. The fight 
at Sherfey's peach orchard was as desperate a struggle, 
and as grand an exhibition of discipline and nerx'e, as that 
of Napoleon's Old Guard at Waterloo, and no men bore 
their part more manfully than the Second Regiment's con- 
tingent from the Seventeenth. 

In only one way that I recall were the Seventeenth men 
inferior to the old men of the Second with whom they 
served, and that was in physical endurance on the march. 
They had not been hardened, as the old men had, by two 
years of active campaigning. From the time the regiment 
landed at Falmouth, and set out to join the Army of the 
Potomac, some of the most terrific marches in the entire 
history of the Second came in order. Marches of thirty 
miles or over — forced marches — under a broiling Southern 
sun were not infrequent. The old men had been there 
before. They were toughened, and knew how to take 
advantage of circumstances. They stripped to the work. 
It was not a matter of spirit and of will, but of sheer physi- 
cal endurance, and it could not be expected that men fresh 
from home could alwa\'s hold up to the work. I have an 
impression that after every such " spurt " some of the 
Seventeenth men would be scattered to the rear along the 
line of march. But they always " got there." It was with 
them only a matter of a few hours more or less in getting 
into camp. And when the objective point was reached, 
when the Old Second, at Gettysburg, stood once more in 
battle line facing the enemy, I doubt if there was a single 
one of the Seventeenth Regiment absent from the ranks. 

I have personal recollections of several in the service, 

but there are two, both in my own company (I), whose 

memory is especially fresh. They both died in the service 

— one shot dead at Gett}'sburg, the other passing away 
11 



1 62 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

from disease in camp. I remember Tibbetts, of Com- 
pany I, as a very disputacious soldier. We used to talk 
politics, and we did n't agree at all. I used to tell him 
that he belonged over among those fellows in gray, and 
had no right to be wearing a blue uniform. I am ashamed 
of it now. He died a patriotic death, shot dead in his 
tracks at Gettysburg. And young Sanborn ! I remem- 
ber him as he lay in his tent at Point Lookout, wasting 
with homesickness, we thought. And before we could 
realize it, he passed away. I was one of the firing party 
that gave the last tribute of a soldier by a volley over the 
shallow grave in which we laid him by the banks of the 
Potomac. 

" The men of the Seventeenth." They were men of the 
Second, too. We claim them. And we admire, too, the 
loyalty with which they clung to the memory of their first 
love. They would not be worthy to be members and 
sharers in the glory of the Second, if they did not. You 
were a part of lis, my boys. The glories of the memorable 
summer of '63 are yours, as they are ours. And our home 
in these later days, at The Weirs, is yours, too, where as 
long as we old veterans shall gather in reunion, you can 
meet with the double pleasure of members both of the 
Old Second and of the Young Seventeenth. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 
Third District Men in the Fifteenth Regiment. 

By Col. THOMAS COGSWELL, 
Captain in Fifteenth New Hampshire Volunteers. 

I have been requested by my comrade and friend, Colo- 
nel Kent, to write a chapter for this history, on the men in 
the Fifteenth New Hampshire Regiment who enlisted from 
the territory embraced in the Third Congressional District, 
and became a part of the regiment of which I was a mem- 
ber, in answer to the call of President Lincoln, dated August 
4, 1862, for three hundred thousand volunteers for nine 
months' service in the War of the Rebellion. When this 
call was made, and the governor and his council com- 
menced to make arrangements to fill the quota of the state, 
it was the distinct understanding, as New Hampshire's 
quota was three thousand men, that the raising of three 
regiments should be assigned to the three Congressional 
Districts, one regiment from each district. 

The field and staff ofificers for each regiment were to be 
appointed and commissioned from men living in the dis- 
trict. In accordance with said understanding, John W. 
Kingman of Durham was made colonel of the regiment 
from the P^irst District, William M. Weed of Sandwich, 
lieutenant-colonel, and George W. Frost of Newmarket, 
major. 

Lieutenant-Colonel Weed was not mustered, Major Frost 
was appointed in his place, and Henry W. Blair of Ply- 
mouth was made major. It will be seen that at an early 
date the original agreement or understanding was broken. 



164 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

and a man from the Third District was made a field offi- 
cer in the regiment being raised from the First District. 

The call for the three hundred thousand men for nine 
months' service was made at the very darkest time during 
the Rebellion. Reverses of one kind and another had 
overtaken the Union army, and a spirit of gloom and 
despondency was everywhere prevalent. The call followed 
immediately after the state had been engaged in raising 
the Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh. Twelfth, Thirteenth, and Four- 
teenth New Hampshire Regiments, and the state and towns 
had put forth every effort and strained every nerve to fill 
their qiu")ta, with what success the fact that six regiments, 
full}' armed and equipped, had been sent to the front in six 
months, fully attests. 

When the call of August 4, 1862, came, the towns had 
raised seemingly all the men possible, but with that strength 
of character for which New Hampshire men are noted, and 
inflamed by a burning patriotism, the task was undertaken 
to again fill the quota assigned the state. 

luilistments were begun in the several districts of the 
state, and it was found that a new class of. men came to the 
front, made up notably of two classes, viz. : The young 
men, too young to be accepted in the earlier regiments, 
and men who, on account of family and business ties, could 
not see their way clear to enlist in the earlier regiments. 

Many of this last class were beyond the age of military 
dut\-, and consequent!)' exempt from service, but ignoring 
this fact, they left all behind them, and did xaliant service 
for their country. 

Owing to the desire on the part of both the national and 
state governments to hasten the organization of the regi- 
ments and send them to the front as quickly as possible, 
the regiment from the Fir.st District was ordered into camp 
at Concord, early in October, 1862. Companies had been 
raised, or j^artially so, from the following localities in the 



THIRD DISTRICT MEN IN FIFTEENTH REGT 



i6s 



I 



district: Company A, from Gilford, (iilmanton, and Alton; 
Company D, from Deerfield, Northwood, and surrounding 
towns ; Company G, from Barnstcad and adjacent towns ; 
Company H, from Sanbornton and vicinit}', with a detach- 
ment from Londonderry ; 
Compan}' I, from Roches- 
ter and Milton, and Com- 
pany K, from the south- 
ern part of Rockingham 
county. These companies 
fell far short of a complete 
regiment, and so other 
companies from the Sec- 
ond and Third Districts, 
that had been formed and 
nearly filled, were ordered 
into camp. Company E 
came from Manchester, 
in the Second District, 
while from the Third Dis- 
trict came Company B, 
largely raised in Ply- 
mouth and vicinity; 
Company C, from Haverhill, Bath, Littleton, and Enfield, 
and Company F, from Canaan and towns on that side of 
Grafton county. 

At the time the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Regiments were 
being filled up and prepared for service in Louisiana, Henry 
O. Kent of Lancaster, who had been actively engaged in 
filling all the quotas from New Hampshire, was appointed 
colonel of the Seventeenth or Third District Regiment. 
Under his patriotic efforts and of those engaged with him, 
a large number of men had enlisted to form said regiment. 
I have always supposed, and I am quite confident that the 
records of the adjutant-general's office will substantiate my 




Col. Thomas Cogswell. 



1 66 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT, 

supposition, that as many men had actually enlisted from 
the Third District, and were then ready to go into camp 
as from cither the First or Second Districts, and possibly 
more. The course of Colonel Kent in submitting, although 
under protest, to the transfor of men raised for a regiment 
over which he was to hav^e command, and lead into action 
in the gallant wa}- he would have done, thus as it proved, 
cutting off his own entrance into the service, is worthy of 
great admiration. 

Three full companies, besides indix'idual men in almost 
all the others from the Third District, certainly became a 
part of the Fifteenth New Hampshire or First District 
Regiment. 

From an intimate knowledge of the men coming to the 
Fifteenth New Hampshire from the section justly belong- 
ing to the Seventeenth, I can say we had none better. 

Major, afterwards Lieutenant-Colonel, Blair was an ofificer 
of great courage, and was ever ready for any duty assigned 
him. Capt. John W. Ela was a young, vigorous, excellent 
ofificer, as were all the officers of the three companies. 

The men were strong and hardy, and endured the terri- 
ble climate of Louisiana and the long siege of forty-four 
days at Port Hudson equally with any men in the regiment. 
Their connection with our regiment did much to give it the 
standing that it had in the Department of the Gulf. It is a 
matter of profound regret that the Seventeenth New Hamp- 
shire Regiment was not able to complete its organization, 
and go to the front as originally intended. It would have 
added one more regiment to the number sent by the Gran- 
ite State to help put down the Rebellion and restore the 
Union, every one of which did its full duty in whatever 
place assigned it, and brought additional renown to our 
loved New Hampshire, as not only the mother of men, but 
of soldiers, who, in every war of this country, have acted 
well their part. 



THIRD DISTRICT MEN IN FIFTEENTH REGT 16"] 

As a citizen of New Hampshire, and a soldier in that 
war that " tried men's souls," I am glad to know that at a 
late day, after many years of weary waiting, justice, in a 
measure, has been done to the man, who in the bright flush 
of his early manhood, imbued with a patriotism inborn, saw 
a regiment raised in his district, for him, and largely by his 
personal efforts, taken piece by piece from his control, and 
finally leaving him with only a remnant of strong, brave, 
patriotic men, anxious to go with their neighbors and 
friends into the conflict then so furiously raging, and who, 
after a long time of anxious waiting, saw even that remnant 
transferred to another regiment, the Second New Hamp- 
shire. 

I am only too glad to pay a just recognition to the men 
from the Third District who so nobly helped make the regi- 
ment to which I belonged so noted a success. 

It is only fair to sa}% that if the men from the Third 
District had been ordered into camp, instead of those from 
the First, the Fifteenth might have been the unfilled regi- 
ment left stranded at home, and more brilliant honors have 
come to the ofificers and members of the Seventeenth. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 
Third District Men in the Sixteenth Regiment. 

By brooks K. WEBBER, Lieutenant Co. I. 

Thiee companies recruited for Col. Kent's Seventeenth 
Regiment from the old Third Congressional District were 
sent to serve in the Sixteenth under Col. Pike. Thc\- came 
chiefly from Swanzey, Fitzwilliam, Goshen, Newport, and 
Lebanon, a few from other towns in the vicinity of these. 
They were enrolled with, and henceforth shared the fortunes 
of, the Sixteenth. The history of this regiment has been 
told b}^ Adjutant Luther T. Townsend, in his recentl}' pub- 
lished book, the chapters of which originally appeared in 
the Granite Monthly. I regret that in this brief chapter I 
can but outline its movements, and the demands upon my 
time are such that much must be left untold. The histo- 
rians have told us enough to make the claims of the sur- 
viving veterans quite reasonable. The Sixteenth had an 
important duty to perform. It was a part of the great or- 
ganization that broke the power of the Confederates upon 
the Mississippi, and, as has been said, cut the rebellion in 
two. 

The state of Louisiana was subdued outside of Port Hud- 
son, and so thoroughly, that when Vicksburg surrendered 
the last hope of resistance vanished and the taking of Port 
Hudson was a bloodless victory. But the l^anks campaign 
was neither bloodless nor cheap in loss of human health 
and life. In these latter respects it was among the most 
costly of the war. It is true the Sixteenth men were en- 



THIRD DISTRICT MEN IN SIXTEENTH KEGT. 169 

listed for only nine months, but it was enough ; a few 
months more would have utterly destroyed the regiment. 

The months of the earl\- fall after our enlistment were 
spent in camp at Concord, N.H. On November 23d, 1862, 
the regiment departed for New York, where they arrived 
the next morning. On December 7th, seven companies, 
including Companies A and I, sailed on the steamer East- 
ern ^iccn under sealed orders. On the Sunday following* 
these orders were opened and our destination was found to 
be Ship Island, at the mouth of the Mississippi ri\'er. The 
voyage was one of hardship, the sea was rough, and many 
suffered from sea-sickness, aggravated by the poor food 
which sick as well as the rest were compelled to eat. Upon 
arriving at Ship Island, orders were received to proceed to 
New Orleans, where we arrived Dec. 20th, 1862, and pitched 
our tents at CarroUton, a few miles above the city. Here 
our first death occurred, the soldier being Lieut. Prescott 
Jones, of Company E. 

December 31st our muster roll showed, according to 
Adjt. Townsend, that one out of every seven enlisted men 
was on the sick list. The other three companies joined us 
Jan. I, 1863. They included Company F, which, with 
Companies A and I, were mostly third district men. A 
regimental drill took place January 3d, and Gen. Thomas W. 
Sherman highly complimented our regiment. On January 
25th, among many others. Colonel Pike, Captain Bosworth, 
and Lieutenants Burnham and Wilkins were sick and unable 
to report for duty. And yet this was not due to any defi- 
ciency in the physical make-up of the men, for our regiment 
was admitted to be composed of material equal to any that 
took part in the Banks campaign. 

March 5th, after a long and tedious stay at CarroUton, 
we went up the river to Baton Rouge on transports, and 
after about a week's wait there we advanced towards Port 
Hudson. We camped about four miles from that fortress. 



170 SEVENTEENTH NEIV HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

Farragut had collected his fleet below Port Hudson. The 
object of the land expedition was to make a demonstration 
that should distract the attention of the garrison while Far- 
ragut attempted to pass the batteries. After a spirited at- 
tempt at night, two of his warships and a gunboat succeeded 
in passing the batteries. One of his ships was disabled and 
one destroyed. We, with the rest of Banks' troops, returned 
to Baton Rouge, after three days and nights of apparently 
needless wandering in the swamps and bayous. This in- 
cluded the famous " Mud March," which we claim to be as 
severe a trial of physical endurance as occurred during the 
war. It was a relief to finally arrive once more even at the 
old. filthy camp-ground of Baton Rouge. 

Farragut, with the ships that passed the batteries, kept 
on up the river. There was nothing to stop him this side 
of Vicksburg. What he really accomplished was to get 
control of the mouth of the Red river, and later to commu- 
nicate with the forces at Brashear City and Butte a la Rose. 
Had he succeeded in running all his fleet past Port Hudson, 
the difficulties were by no means overcome. It is generally 
admitted that the Confederate forces at Port Hudson ex- 
ceeded in number our men, and the fortifications were of 
unusual strength and extent. It was not the right time to 
take Port Hudson. 

On April 3d we went to Algiers (opposite New Orleans), 
and from there, after a few days' sojourn, we were ordered 
to Brashear City, eighty miles west. Here, although we 
were constantly expectant, we did not meet the cnenn'. 
Disease was alarmingly prevalent among our men, deaths 
occurring almost tlail}'. Here a notable incident was the 
destruction of the Confederate steamer ^iccn of the West^ 
the capture of its commander. Captain Fuller, and the dis- 
persion of the rest of the enemy's fleet. April i8th we 
were distributed on four gunboats and instructed, as our 
orders read, " to proceed up Bayou Atchafala\'a to clear it 



THIRD DISTRICT MEN IM SIXTEENTH REGT. 171 

of obstructions and to make an attack upon Butte a la 
Rose." 

The latter point was about seventy-five miles north of 
Brashear City and was considered an important position. 
We ascended the bayou slowly ; constant vigilance was re- 
quired, as we were in danger from the Confederate sharp- 
shooters and bushwackers that lined the shores. Cotton 
bales were placed around the sides of the gunboats, and 
made quite a good barricade. On April 20th — the day 
when Banks made his entr}^ into Opelousas — our expedition 
captured Fort Burton. The garrison surrendered and were 
sent as prisoners of war to New Orleans. This wonderfully 
improved their position, although it did not ours. Two 
gunboats then ascended the bayou to its source, and enter- 
ing the Mississippi, joined Admiral Farragut on the 2nd of 
May. Upon each boat were twenty members of our regi- 
ment who acted as sharpshooters. Speaking of the result 
of our expedition, the Comte de Paris says, in his History 
of the Civil War in America: "A sure and easy way 
was therefore open for turning the batteries of Port Hud- 
son." 

For some six weeks after the occupation of Butte a 
la Rose the Sixteenth remained there, surrounded by bush- 
wackers and almost eighty miles from any F'ederal assist- 
ance in case of an attack. From this pestilential camp 
most of the soldiers can date the beginning of that scourge 
of disease which so sorely afflicted the regiment. Many, 
it is true, were sick at Brashear City and New Orleans, 
among them Colonel Pike, but the season of the year, the 
swamps, the unsanitary condition of our camp and its sur- 
roundings, made disease especially prevalent and deadh'. 
Adjutant Town.send says: "Butte a la Rose, aside from 
being a very strategic position from a military point of view, 
proved also to be such from several other points of view. 
It was the grand rendezvous of mosquitoes, fleas, wood- 



172 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

ticks, lice, lizards, frogs, snakes, alligators, fever bacteria, 
dysentery microbes, and every conceivable t\'pe of malarial 
poison." And added to this chapter of horrors should be 
an insLiflficient and unwholesome diet. Then there was the 
constant danger of capture by the enemy. Finally we were 
taken away on transports sent for our rescue. Before leav- 
ing, we burned the barracks at Fort Burton, and the guns 
we captured were taken to Brashear City. We left none 
too soon. A force of Confederates were close upon us — so 
close, indeed, that a day's delay might have resulted in our 
capture. The extent of such a catastrophe can only be 
imagined. In our condition prison life would have meant 
annihilation. As it was, our men arrived safeh' before Port 
Hudson. A mere handful only were able to bear arms. 
Many had been buried in the swamps. General Emery 
spoke of us, the survivors, as " a few skeletons of the Six- 
teenth." We were, owing to our condition, assigned to 
guard duty at the arsenal at Springfield Landing. An at- 
tack by bushwackers was repulsed, and the regiment received 
special credit for that performance. The time for which we 
were enlisted had now nearly expired, and the fall of Vicks- 
burg, followed by the immediate surrender of Port Hudson, 
fittingl)' brought the Banks campaign to a close, and crowned 
the work of the Sixteenth with success. On Jul)' loth they 
entered the works at Port Hudson with the other victorious 
troops. Their duties were then done and they returned 
home. The Mississippi, for the first time since the out- 
break of the Rebellion, was entirel}' under P^ederal control. 
Our regiment was mustered out at Concord, August 20th, 
1863. 

Our common suffering and prixation levelled rank and 
brought ofificers and men into the closest touch and most 
sympathetic intercourse. There was little of that official 
formalism or lack of consideration for the common soldier 
which sometimes renders a campaign galling and unbeara- 



THIRD DISTRICT MEN IN SIXTEENTH REGT. 1 73 

ble, and prevents the highest dev'Otion to the regiment. 
There has consequenth' resuUed a fraternal spirit and an 
absence of ill feeling among the veterans of the Sixteenth 
which is a source of lasting gratification. It was, therefore, 
easy for them to adopt, if I may so speak, these companies 
of Third District men who were recruited for and were nat- 
uralh' by location of the Seventeenth — to fight, work, and 
suffer with them, and share the honors they so dearly 
bought. 

There has ever been a feeling of grateful appreciation 
among the members of the Sixteenth toward the Third 
District men who were their compatriots and comrades. 
Time, indeed, has made some almost forget the connection 
of those brave men with the Seventeenth. The records do 
not usually distinguish them, and therefore it is well that 
we should remember that their meritorious services reflected 
honor upon their district and showed of what stuff Colonel 
Kent's regiment was made. At least three fourths of the 
men in my company were from the Third District, man}' of 
them neighbors and friends, for, although I enlisted in An- 
trim, my parents resided in Newport during the war. I can 
therefore speak from close personal acquaintance. Our 
captain, Daniel Buffum of Swanzey, was one of them, and he 
died for his country at New Orleans. A list of those who 
suffered and who died would be a roster of the company, 
and other personal mention is therefore omitted. 

There is among the survivors much pride in the fact that 
they were from the old Third District. In conversation 
with them it always comes out that they enlisted for the 
Seventeenth, and they are still loyal to the old district and 
to Colonel Kent, while lacking nothing in appreciation of 
the qualities of the late Colonel Pike. And with this loy- 
alty is mingled regret that the Seventeenth could not have 
gone to the front in its entirety, following its proper leaders 
and under its own regimental flag. Then its histor}' would 



174 



SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 



have been unified, not scattered, and honors won b}- its 
members indix^idually would have been credited to the pro- 
per organization and district. 

It is not for me, and I do not deem it to h'e within the 
scope of this chapter, to go beyond the commonest facts, 
often recited, in regard to the connection of the Third Dis- 
trict men with the Sixteenth, to look for causes, reasons, or 

motives why the state 



rr 

should have dismembered 

the Seventeenth, however 
much it added strength to 
the others. It is no slight 
thing to separate men from 
the ofificers who have re- 
cruited and trained them, 
and to leave the officers 
without the opportunity 
to lead their men forth 
to their expected duty in 
the field of patriotic ser- 
vice. We may say it was 
^- ^^^^H|^ wT^- expedient, yet, neverthe- 

I ^^^^^HB B '*-'^^> ^^ savors of injustice. 

I ^j^^^^^^^^B ^ have spoken of the con- 

nection of the Third Dis- 
trict companies with the 
Sixteenth as "adoption," and I have done so advisedly. 
The feeling which a colonel holds toward his men ( "boys," 
he always calls them) is a paternal one, surel\', and the 
loss of them falls little short of bereavement. 

Ikit this personal sacrifice was bravely and patriotically 
borne. The Sixteenth, rank and file, has honored them 
and their colonel with a full appreciation of the merits of 
their cause. It has watched, hoping at last to see the gov- 





LiEUT. Hrook-s K. Webber. 



THIRD DISTRICT MEN IN SIXTEENTH REGT. 175 

ernment officially place Colonel Kent in his proper position 
upon the military rolls of the nation. 

No better men came to the regiment than those from the 
old Third Congressional District. Companies A and F 
were almost entirely, and Company I largely, composed of 
them. They were justly proud of their section of the state, 
as they well might have been, for it is said that for some 
years previous to its losing its identity, the Third Congres- 
sional District had the smallest per cent, of illiteracy of any 
in the United States. These men, rank and file, were good 
soldiers. They bore the hardships, privations, sufferings, 
and sacrifices that came to them with great fortitude and 
patience. The regiment, during its brief term of service, 
lost by disease at least twenty per cent, of its men, and this 
percentage was largely increased in the weeks immediately 
following its discharge. The history of no other New 
Hampshire regiment furnishes a parallel with this. There 
was no time during the last two months of service that the 
regiment could have mustered fifty men fit for even light 
duty. The death-rate was appalling. At the expiration 
of its term of service some of the sickest were sent home 
by water, and the balance were furnished transportation by 
boat up the Mississippi river to Cairo, 111., thence by rail to 
Concord. Sickness and death followed the regiment along 
its homeward journey. The graves of the poor fellows are 
scattered from New Orleans to Concord. The history of 
the Sixteenth is a pathetic one; it passed, indeed, through 
the valley of the shadow of death, and with a fortitude and 
uncomplaining devotion that is a tender memory in the 
heart of every survivor of this regiment. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 

Grand Army of the Republic : Seventeenth Men 
AS Comrades. 

By general ALBERT S. TWITCHELL, 
Departmeni' Commander, G. A. R. 

There is no part of the history of New Hampshire more 
interesting or more valuable, or that should be preserved 
with greater care, than that of its organizations in the 
Civil War, in which the state took such a prominent and 
honorable part; and the writing of these histories now, 
where they have not already been written, is a most com- 
mendable work, and is held with delight, not only by 
every living member of these organizations, but b)' all 
our people, who recognize the valor and patriotism which 
prompted the enlistment into the service of our country 
when brave men were needed to preserve our national 
imit)' and honor. 

These histories are becoming even more and more valu- 
able with advancing time, and no public, or even private, 
library in the state will be complete until it can place upon 
its list the record of every state organization, which stood 
to its credit as defenders of our common country, when 
treason and rebellion sought its overthrow, and the same 
will be true of those now engaged in the Spanish war, as 
it was true of our ])art in the struggle for our iiulci)cndence, 
when at Bennington and Hunker Hill, and on other bloody 
fields. New Hampshire furnished its full share of heroes, the 
records of whose deeds is emblazoned upon historic pages, 
and is as monumental of heroism as are its granite hills, of 



SEVEN! EEXTH MEN AND THE GRAND ARMY. 177 



its landscape grandeur and beaut}-. That every true sol- 
dier who enhsted in our memorable Civil War did not see 
activ^e service in the field was not in any way due to his 
want of courage or valor, for that was fully proved when, 
in the midst of war, he signed the rolls which made him a 
soldier of the republic ; he was then under orders ; he 
ceased to be free to act for himself, and could only go 
where duty called and his 
commanding officers dic- 
tated. The same was true 
also of companies and 
regiments of men under 
the strict discipline of war, 
and while some were in 
the thickest of the fight, 
others, as brave and true, 
were standing at " atten- 
tion " or "resting on arms," 
as read}' as they to obe}' 
any call to battle. Get- 
tysburg, Antietam, the 
Wilderness, and other 
bloody battlefields, had 
their heroes called into 
action by the circum- 
stances surrounding their 
service, but no one can say that there was not a true en- 
listed soldier in all the service, either upon land or sea, 
who would not have as promptl}' faced the enemy and 
yielded up his life, if need be, had he been prix^ileged to 
be in those contests. 

New Hampshire had one regiment which, owing to cir- 
cumstances beyond its control, was not, as a regiment, 
called to the front, but which for months \\as in camp, 
while men originalK' assigned it were ordered to other 
12 




Gen. a. S. Twitcuell. 



178 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

commands, until, after weary waiting under strict camp 
service and discipline, it was consolidated with another 
regiment, as the record in the office of the adjutant-general 
shows. This was the Seventeenth, of which Col. Henry O. 
Kent of Lancaster had command, and which he with his 
officers labored so hard to fill. It is not my purpose, 
or my duty, to write anything of the history of this or- 
ganization, for others are selected to perform that ser- 
vice. I am, however, asked to write a little Grand Army 
history, which may not be out of place in any record which 
pertains to those whose service and honorable discharge 
entitle them to membership in that order, so dear to every 
true, veteran soldier, viz. : The Grand Arni}^ of the Re- 
public. Col. E. E. Cross Post 16, of the Department of 
New Hampshire, G. A. R., located at Lancaster and named 
after one of the bravest of all the brave men of our Civil 
War, the record of whose deeds made the old Granite state 
so famous upon many a battlefield, was among the posts 
first organized in the department, and it had, as charter 
members, quite a number of men of the Seventeenth Regi- 
ment, some of whom saw no other service, but who were 
then, and have since been, prominent members of this 
post. It was in this post that I first learned the lessons 
taught by our beautiful muster-in service, from which, 
being afterwards transferred, I became a member of the 
post at mv own home, which was organized a little later. 
The members of the Seventeenth Regiment, as far as 
recruited, were largely from the old Third Congressional 
District and the northern portion of the state, in the vicinity 
of the home of Colonel Kent, whose arduous labors to fill 
the regiment are so well known and remembered. A 
special act of congress, later doing full justice to the 
command, gave him full recognition of rank and service 
as " Colonel of the Seventeenth New Hampshire Volun- 
teer Infantr\'." 



SEVENTEENTH MEN AND THE GRAND ARMY. 1 79 

This gave to Post 16, more than to an}' other, a repre- 
sentation from the Seventeeth, Colonel Kent being its 
second Post Commander, which honorable position has 
also been filled by Capt. Jared I. Williams, Corp. George 
H. Emerson, and Lieut. James S. Brackett, whose names 
appear upon the rolls of the Seventeenth New Hampshire 
Volunteers, as do also the names of Daniel C. Bean, Royal 
Hicks, Delevan G. Hubbard, Jesse Tuttle, Ellery Wheeler, 
J. W. Perkins, John M. Newell, Walter S. Bailey, Austin 
Bedell, Robert Blakely, George Blood, William J. Cham- 
berlain, Shepherd B. Cram, John G. Derby, Jonathan E. 
Dustin, Ira S. M. Gove, Hezekiah E. Hadlock, Rufus E. 
Hodgdon, Leland Hubbard, William B. Ingalls, Levi W. 
Jackman, Alfred S. Jackman, Charles N. Kent, Asa J. 
King, Charles E. King, Harvey H. Lucas, John C. Moore, 
Charles W. Moulton, Sidney H. Peaslee, Sumner Perkins, 
William C. Putnam, James Reed, Edmund B. Sanborn, 
Jason Sherwood, Cyril C. Smith, John W. Smith, Oliver P. 
Smith, William Warren, George H. Watson, and George H. 
Weare, enlisted from Coos county, most of whom saw 
active service in other organizations, and those now living 
are among our best citizens, while the memory of many 
of the dead will dwell ever in our hearts. 

The connection of the members of this regiment with the 
Grand Army is the same as that of any other veteran 
organization, and a brief histor}^ of this order, which has 
grown out of the Civil War, would not be out of place 
wherever a war history is written. Unlike all other orders, 
its recruiting field is so limited that it cannot exist for a 
great period of time, being dependent upon the lives of 
those whose service and honorable discharge entitle them 
to membership, none being admitted upon wdiom a stain 
of treason rests, and it is this that binds its members so 
closely together, and finds such a lodgment in the hearts 
of all our lo)'al people. 



l8o SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

Conceived soon after the close of the war, the first post 
was organized at Decatur, 111., April 6, 1866, Dr. B. F. 
Stephenson of Springfield, 111., being the prime mover, and 
this was quickh^ followed by the establishment of other 
posts in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Iowa, and 
Missouri. July 12, 1866, the posts in Illinois held a 
department encampment at Springfield, the first state 
encampment to be organized, when Gen. John M. Palmer 
was elected department commander. 

Dr. Stephenson, who was chiefly instrumental in creating 
the great interest which so rapidly spread through all the 
loyal states, at once after the organization at Decatur, April 
6, 1866, assumed charge of the organization of posts in 
other states, issued orders as commander-in-chief, and on 
Oct. 31, 1866, about six months after the organization of 
the first post at Decatur, he issued a call for a national 
encampment, which was held at Indianapolis, Nov. 20th, 
following, and which was attended by representatives of the 
order from Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Wisconsin, New 
York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Iowa, Kentucky, Indiana, and 
the District of Columbia, and General Stephen A. Hurl- 
burt of Illinois was then elected the first commander-in- 
chief, who had as his valuable adjutant-general. Dr. Steph- 
enson, the real founder of the order. Here rules and 
regulations were adopted, upon the great principles which 
were the basis of the order, viz. : Fraternit}-, Charity, and 
Loyalty, the object being, as then expressed, " To preserve 
and strengthen those kind and fraternal feelings which bind 
together the soldiers, sailors, and marines, who united to 
sujjpress the late rebellion, and to perpetuate the memory 
and history of the dead ; to assist such former comrades in 
arms as need help and jjrotection, and to extend needful 
aid to the widows and orphans of those who have fallen ; to 
Tiaintain true allegiance to the United States of America, 
based upon a paramount respect for, and fidelit\-to, its con- 



SEVENTEENTH MEN AND THE GRAND ARMY. l8l 

stitution and laws, to discountenance whatever tends to 
weaken loyalty, incites to insurrection, treason, or rebellion, 
or in any manner impairs the efficiency and permanency of 
our free institutions ; and to encourage the spread of uni- 
versal liberty, equal rights and justice to all men." 

It was then also given the name of the Grand Army of 
the Republic, which has since extended throughout all the 
states, and even into foreign lands, where the veteran sol- 
diers have been found in sufficient numbers to maintain an 
organization under its rules and regulations, and which will 
forever live in history, even after the last member has been 
mustered out, as one of the greatest orders which ever 
existed, the influence of which upon the fraternal, charitable, 
and loN'al future of our great republic will ne\-er, never die. 

The first post organized in New Hampshire was at 
Portsmouth, Nov. 8, 1867, followed by a provisional depart- 
ment, under the department of Massachusetts, which was 
organized at Portsmouth, Nov. 16, 1867, with Matthew T. 
Betton as provisional commander. Then followed the 
organization of other posts throughout the state, ten being 
necessary to constitute a department, until, with a represen- 
tative convention held at Portsmouth on April 30, 1868, a 
permanent department was organized, with Capt. William 
R. Patten of Manchester, as grand commander. At this 
time there were twelve posts organized in the state, and 
from them there was a steady growth of the order until it 
became one of the strongest and most highly respected of 
all state organizations, extending into ever)' section where a 
sufficient number could be found to enter its ranks, the 
result being that there are comparatively few veterans of the 
Civil War within the state whose names have not appeared 
upon our muster rolls. 

A full history of this order, since its conception at the 
close of the war, to the present time, cannot here be written, 
for it would contain volumes instead of chapters, and should 



l82 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

only be thus written as a " Grand Army Histor}'." It is 
enough here to know its purpose as an organization, in 
which the members of the Seventeenth, as of all other regi- 
ments, have found a fraternal home, and have enjoyed all 
the benefits of the order, several having been from time to 
time honored by ofificial positions in the department. Col. 
Kent having served as judge advocate upon the official staff 
of the department commander, and been otherwise honored 
in its ranks. Over thirty years having passed since the 
close of the Civil War, the ranks of those who served in that 
memorable time of our country's history, are now becoming 
faster and faster depleted ; but very few being left at this 
writing who have not passed the half century of life, and 
fewer still, whose service in camp, upon the field, and in the 
deadly conflict, does not subject them to an earlier call, and 
to enrollment upon the long list of the " finally mustered 
out." This thus brings us, as an order, upon the down- 
ward road to dissolution, when all that is left of its good 
works will be its record upon the historic page. 

There is, it is true, a movement already started to so 
amend our rules as to receive as recruits, all honorably dis- 
charged soldiers and sailors engaged in our present war with 
Spain, claiming that all these are entitled to membership, as 
soldiers of the republic, and that with this new recruiting 
ground, the Grand Army would increase its members and 
its years, and work out for itself a much longer season of 
usefulness. This may all be true, and it ma)' be the wisest 
and best legislation in behalf of the Grand Army of the 
Republic, but its full accomplishment will require many 
changes which may not meet the approval of either the old 
soldiers of the Civil War or the new soldiers of 1898, the 
best interest of all of which must be consulted, and unless 
there shall be full unity of action, with one purpose only, 
to preserve and maintain that fraternity, charity, and loyalty, 
which are the grand foundation stones on which the order 



SEVENTEENTH MEN AND THE GRAND ARMY. 183 

rests, we must work on until the last old veteran lays down 
his arms, and, with his tent forever folded, goes to join the 
vast Grand Army upon God's eternal camping ground. 

" Then tliougli the warrior' s sun has set, 
Its light shall linger round us yet, — 
Bright, radiant, blest." 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 
The Music and Songs of the War. 

By HON. JOHN C. LINEHAN. 

A request from Col. Henry O. Kent, to furnish material 
for a chapter in the history of the Seventeenth Regiment 
will explain ni}' appearance as a contributor to the work. 
A request from him is, to me, equivalent to a command. 
A life-long personal friend, he is, and has been since the 
war, a comrade, in every sense of the word. Few legisla- 
tive enactments for the benefit or relief of veterans or their 
families have been placed in the statutes without the aid of 
his voice, or his vote, or both, and the history of his regi- 
ment will be the best vindication of his character as a citi- 
zen and a soldier. 

My subject, "The Music and Songs of the War," is, in 
my opinion, not only pertinent, but it is one thus far that 
has not been treated by any of the writers on the War of 
the Rebellion. 

My service as a musician in the band of the Third New 
Hampshire Volunteers makes the subject also an appropri- 
ate one. 

During the past two }'ears I have spoken on the same 
topic in various parts of New England, and what is printed 
here is largely a repetition of what has been said there. 
Had I been favored with more time I would like to have 
written up the sex'eral bands and drum corps ser\-ing in 
regiments from this state, and the part taken b\- them in 
camp, on the battlefield, or in the hosj)ital, for dut)- called 
them there, but this was impossible, so I have been obliged 



THE MUSIC AND SONGS OF THE WAR. 1 85 

to treat the subject in a general way, omitting the details 
which would naturally be of more interest to the comrades 
serving in the organizations mentioned. 

" Let me but write the songs of a nation and I care not 
who makes its laws" is perhaps as great a tribute as was 
ever paid to the ballad singer or composer, by any writer, 
ancient or modern, and it is as true as it is great. None 
can bear witness to this better than those who listened to 
the music of band or drum corps, in camp or on the march, 
at occasions of rejoicing over a victory, or at the funeral of 
comrades after a defeat. From the first reunion at Weirs 
down to the last the presence of a first-class military band 
and drum corps has been among the principal features of 
the gatherings. The bugle calls, beginning at reveille, 
accompanied by the drum corps, and ending with taps, 
together with the firing of the morning" and evening guns, 
and the raising and lowering of the colors, have all been 
vivid reminders of days, events, and of comrades long gone 
by. 

Some years ago when Captain "Jack" Adams visited 
The Weirs for the first time during the annual reunion, and 
occupied the same room with me, he was waked in the 
morning by the cannon, bugle, and drums combined. 
With the notes of the reveille ringing in his ears, he sprang 
from the bed, and said, "John, do }-ou always do this?" 
"Yes," said 1, "from the beginning." "My God," said 
he, "that is the real old stuff," and the tears moistened his 
eyes, for it was years since he had heard anything like it. 
In a regiment of ten companies, with my remembrance of 
the past, each company was provided with a drummer and 
fifer, and in some regiments, of other states, a bugler. 
These combined were st}'led field music, or drum corps. 
One was selected as chief with a title of principal musician, 
or drum-major. The drum corps was subject to his 
orders. 



[86 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 



Under a special act of Congress, passed in 1861, 
many of the regiments included in the first call for three 
hundred thousand men \\ere provided with regimental 
bands. The men were enlisted, not as privates, but musi- 
cians, and could not be detailed for any purpose except 
field service during a battle, or in the hospital when their 

aid was re- 
quired. In such 
an event they 
reported to the 
regimental sur- 
geon who as- 
signed them to 
their duties. 
The band-mas- 
ter held the 
rank and re- 
ceived the pay 
of a second 
lieutenant. The 
number of men 
authorized b}' 
law was twen- 
ty-four. They 
were graded as 
first, second, 
and third class 
musicians, with 
pay in accord- 
ance with their rank. Between July and September, bands 
w^cre organized for the Second, Third, Fourth, and iMfth 
regiments, accompan\-ing their respective organizations to 
the front, and remaining until mustered out by act of Con- 
gress in August, 1862. After that date several of the reg- 
iments provided themselves with bands by detailing men 




Hon. John C. Linehan. 



THE MUSIC AND SONGS OF THE WAR. 1 87 

from the ranks. These men could be returned to their 
companies when necessary. 

Perhaps one of the pleasantest occasions occurring at Hil- 
ton Head, that is, for the parties concerned, was that which 
took place on Thanksgiving Day, in 1861, when the Third 
and Fourth united to celebrate the day in the camp of the 
former. There were speeches galore by Colonels Fellows, 
Whipple, and Jackson, Major Bedell, Capt. Donohoe, and 
others, interspersed with music by the two bands attached 
to each regiment, and led respectively by Walter Dignam 
and G. W. Ingalls. So much by way of introduction. As 
has been said, it would be pleasant were it possible, to give 
the details of the service of the musicians of the several 
regiments, but it is not. W'ith a full knowledge of both the 
omissions and imperfections which may be found in an arti- 
cle so hastily prepared, I will confine myself to the "Music 
and Songs of the War." 

Over thirty-three years have passed since the close of the 
great Civil War, but the interest in the contest which was 
productive of such grand results, is nearly as warm to-day 
as it was when the surrender of Lee decided the fate of the 
nation. The "Ofiicial Record of the Union and Con- 
federate Armies " published by the government, The Cen- 
tury articles, which are almost innumerable, and the contri- 
butions from the many who were participants on either 
side, printed in magazine, journal, or quarterly review, is 
evidence of the truth of what otherwise might seem an 
exaggeration. Papers on this or that campaign, criticisms 
of the conduct of commanders, histories of great battles 
and sieges, beginning at Sumter and ending at Appo- 
mattox, and cycloramas almost equal to nature itself, on 
exhibition in the great cities of the country, have made the 
battlefields of the Civil War as familiar to the schoolbo}^ as 
to the veteran who survived the great conflict. While every 
side of the struggle has been written up, the political and 



1 88 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT 

economical, the military and naval, but vcn- little has been 
said about its sentimental features, — the music and the 
songs of the war, — which exercised a powerful influence in 
the hour of victory or on the day of defeat. As a rule, 
writers when drawing a comparison between the soldiers of 
the North and South, concede more sentiment to those from 
Dixie, but surely if the feeling which finds expression in 
music and song is the true sentiment, then this is an error^ 
for that war gave us here in the North some of the most 
stirring songs, grand, patriotic, inspiring and tender, and its 
close found us familiar with its music, as expressed by the 
ringing notes of the bugle or the rattling beat of the drum. 

" When Israel, of the Lord beloved, 
Out from the land of bondage came, 
Her fatlier's God before her moved. 
An awful guide in smoke and flame. 
Then rose the choral hymn of praise, 
And trump and timbrel answer'd keen, 
And Zion\s daughters pour'd their lays, 
With priest and warrior's voice between." 

To those who responded to their coiniti"}''s call in 1861, 
this music of the camp was perhaps the most novel, and 
like first love, its remembrance the most lasting. None 
are to-day so old but what the tones of one and the beats 
of the other will stir the blood to quicker circulation, and 
hasten the pulsations of the heart. How often after the 
fatigue of the day's duties in camp, or the hardships of a 
long march, has the " Bould Soger Bo\' " while dreaming of 
home and mother, in his tent or in the trench been rudely 
disturbed in the midst of his slumbers, by the clarion notes 
of the bugle as it soimded the reveille. 

Hartl as his pallet might have been, either on the board 
floor of a tent, or on the damp ground, he was reluctant to 
part with it, and only at the last moment, with one leg in 
his trousers, or his jacket hanging on his arm, he was barel}' 



THE MUSIC AND SONGS OF THE WAR. 1 89 

in time to respond to his name as the orderly called the 
roll. 

The roll-call ! What a host of remembrances it brings 
up, and its bare mention again calls into life the forms of 
many who have long passed away. 

"On fame's eternal camping ground 
Their silent tents are spread, 
And glory guards with solemn round 
The bivouac of the dead." 

This is not the time or place to speak of them at length, 
but still despite all we can do to prevent it, the notes of 
the reveille remind us of many comrades who fell on the 
battlefield, who died in the hospital, or dragged out a 
lingering existence in the prisons of the South, where they 
died in thousands, preferring death to freedom, when the 
alternative was service in the Confederate army. 

" By fairy hands their knell is rung, 
By forms unseen their dirge is sung : 
There honor comes, a pilgrim gray, 
To bless the turf that wraps their clay ; 
And freedom shall awhile repair, 
To dwell, a weeping hermit there." 

But another feature of the day's doings, and one which, 
in the first year of the war, used to make considerable fun 
for the boys, was that which called out the lame and the 
lazy, — the true soldier and the bummer, the seasoned old 
veteran and the home-sick recruit, — the sin-geon's call. 

Every ailment under the sun the poor fellows suffered 
from, but quinine and whiskey was the cure-all remed)% 
varied occasionally by the inevitable pill, which was the 
surgeon's best hold. " Arrah, Doctor," said a strapping 
Hibernian, who made his appearance one morning with his 
blanket draped around his stalwart form like a Roman toga, 
" I think that me bowls would be a grate dale bctther if 
you'd let me take the whiskc\- first, and lave a reasonable 



190 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

time between that and the quinine." The doctor could not, 
however, see it in that hi;ht, and Darb}' failed to get it 
" straight." 

The gathering of the broom and shovel brigade followed 
another well known signal, — the police call, when the men 
whose appetites mastered their wills, were mustered for 
their duties as hew^ers of wood and carriers of water, scav- 
engers of the day, the turkc}'-buzzards of the camp. Not 
very pleasant tasks, but a guard with a musket, and fixed 
bayonet, was a gentle reminder of what might follow any 
neglect in the performance of a daily duty so essential to 
the health of the camp. 

" Next to the man who invented sleep, blessed is the 
man who discovered water," is about the way an old Span- 
ish saying runs, but the Yank, after his war experience, 
would go the Spaniard one better and exclaim. Thrice 
blessed is the man who discovered coffee ! for in those days 
it was both meat and drink for him, and when was heard 
the welcome notes of the breakfast call, happy indeed was 
he, if in addition to his coffee and hard tack, he had a 
heaping plate of the lively, toothsome, juicy, wholesome 
product of New England, the symbol of Boston culture 
and of true Americanism, — the "Old Army Bean." 

" For the bean in its primitive state is a plant that is not often met ; 
But when cooked in the okl army style, it has charms we can never 
forget." 

Now is the time for the dandies of the regiment to make 
their appearance, and as the bugle rings out the notes of 
the first sergeant's call, the orderlies o.f each company, — the 
most important men in the corps, — step forward promptly 
to the adjutant's (juarters, and make their morning reports. 
How much the discipline of the company depended on the 
efificiency of the first sergeant the commanders well knew ; and 
how many gallant, brave men exchanged the diamond for the 
bar, leaf, eagle or star, the roster of the regiment bears wit- 



THE MUSIC AND SONGS OF THE WAR. 



191 



ness. Their experience in this, the most practical school 
of the soldier, fitted them for the stations so many of them 
reached before the close of the war, and made their \va}' 
through the civic walks of life all the easier, where new 
honors rewarded them for labors in another field, proving 
that " peace hath her victories not less renowned than 
those of war." The President of the Denver Chamber of 
Commerce, Capt. Roger W. Woodbury, of the Third New 
Hampshire, a few years ago one of its most eminent bank- 
ers, and among its first citizens, wore the diamond on his 
sleeve as orderly of a company in one of New Hampshire's 
gallant infantry regiments, and his counter-part will no 
doubt be found in many places throughout the nation. 
Their reports once made, next in order is the signal for 
guard mounting, a duty both practical and ornamental, 
second onl\' to the daily dress parades, and usuall}'- draw- 
ing a crowd of interested spectators, who enjoy the scene 
all the more, if the occasion is enlivened by the perform- 
ance of a first-class regimental band. To the lookers-on 
the music is always a treat, breaking up the monoton}^ of 
camp life, and a reminder to those on guard or on picket, 
that the hour of their deliverance is close at hand. This 
duty once performed, and the tired sentries relieved, after a 
brief interval, the notes of a signal not quite so welcome, 
the drill call, are heard, and the new recruits hasten to learn 
the first duty of a soldier, in the awkward squad. How 
easy that was, many poor fellows who found it hard to dis- 
tinguish the right foot from the left, discovered to their 
sorrow, especially if they were so unfortunate as to have 
for a drill sergeant a sprig of the Emerald Isle, who had 
seen service in the " English Army, O," and faced the 
Russians in the great charge at Balaklava, or met them breast 
to breast on the heights of Inkerman. Such men had the 
assurance of Napoleon, the temper of the great Frederick, 
and the broeuc of the true Milesian. 



192 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

" Now, then listen to me, and pay strict observance to 
what I say. Reiniiiiber that the first dut}' of a soldier is to 
stand to attention, and the next to obey ordheres. Whin I 
say 'Attention ! ' let every man have his eyes open and his 
airs cocked, and listen for the next ordher which will be 
Forward! Guide right! At the word, Forward, you will 
throw the weight of your bod}' on the left leg and be pre- 
pared to move whin \'ou hear the word, March ! Now, 
thin, remimber the ordher. Forward ! is onh' a \\ord of 
warning, so as to prepare you for what is to follow, and at 
the word March ! you are to move imagitl}' with the left 
foot foremost, keeping step to the bate of the drum. Now, 
thin, Attention ! Forward ! — Ha, ha, Mulcahe}', bad luck 
to you, didn't I tell you not to move until I said, March ! 
Now back to your places agin, and, by the holy poker, the 
first man anticipates an ordher will go to the guard-house. 
D'ye mind that now? Now thin have yer airs cocked. 
Attention! Forward! Guide right! March! Hep, hep, 
hep, hep, hep, halt ! Sheehan, why in the di\'il cant }'ou 
keep shtep? Haven't }'OU an air for music?" " Begor, it 
isn't me air at all, but mc fut, that troubles me. Sergeant," 
was the repl}-. 

" Now, thin, bo}'s, the first sign of a good soldier, is to 
hax'c himself, his clothes, his gun and acouthermints, as 
nate and clane as if he was to be ordhercd out at once for 
inspection. I ha\'e told you of this before, and I am sorry 
that one at least of the number, has paid no attention to 
what I said, for his shirt is the color of a sweep's apron. 

" Case}% step out here. For God's sake, how long do you 
wear \-our shirt? " 

"Three feet and three inches exactly. Sergeant," was the 
witty reply, which raisetl a laugh, but consigned him to the 
guard-house. 

And so the fun went on, at s(iuad, battalion, or regimental 
tlrill, in an infantr\', ca\alr\' or artillerx' regiment, and the 



THE MUSIC AND SONGS OF THE WAR. 193 

penalties for errors of omission, or commission, depended 
largel)' on the character of the commander. The advent of 
Col. Rob Williams at the head of a cavalry regiment at 
Hilton Head, in the spring of 1862, resulted in the saddles 
being strapped on the shoulders of some of the troopers, as 
often nearly as on the backs of their coursers, and in the 
ranks of an infantry regiment encamped close by, with a 
commander not quite so strict, it was not an uncommon 
sight to see a stalwart son of Mars parading before the 
guard-house, with a wooden overcoat on, both punished 
for failing to comply with the rules of the God of War, 
whose ministers rarely failed to punish any offense against 
their superior. It was no wonder then, that the hearts of 
both rank and file were gladdened, when their ears were 
greeted by the welcome notes of the recall, which was an 
announcement of the conclusion of the forenoon's duties. 

It was then with a chastened spirit, an empt}' stomach, 
and a ravenous appetite that the line of march was taken 
for the mess tent, in response to the cheery notes of the 
" Roast Beef of Old England," the dinner call, though if 
the truth was known, the " Salt hoss of America " or the 
smoked bacon of the wild west, would come nearer the mark, 
and happy was the man who had a good supply of either 
m the last year of the war, and an adequate store of hard 
tack to go with it, which was sound enough to stand alone 
without being hitched. It took time to appreciate the 
despised hard-tack of the first year of the war, but con- 
stant intercourse brought the soldiers to love it, and ex- 
perience taught the expert to serve it up in as man)- wa}'s 
as the prolific hen-fruit or the plebeian potato. It is enough 
to make a man smile to look back at his first week's 
or month's experience in camp; his horror of being de- 
prived of butter for his bread, and milk for his tea or coffee, 
and his complaints in consequence to the "Old folks at 

home," when he had time to write to them, and then to 
13 



194 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

think of the fault-finding with the company cooks, whose 
hves were a burden until thc\' wore unceremoniously re- 
duced to the ranks, only to be very often followed by their 
successors before they had time to wash the pots and kettles 
after their first meals. 

Many are the stories told of the experiments made in 
trying to vary the scant dishes found even in the mess of 
the field and staff of a regiment at the front in 1864. One 
of the best is that related by General Henry of Vermont. 
A Vermonter is selected as authority, — for a son of the 
Green Mountain State, whatever his faults are, will neither 
lie nor steal except to save the Union. At one time in the 
winter of 1864, General Henry's associates of the regi- 
mental mess got a longing for a meal of old-fashioned hash, 
and they were bound to have it if it cost them the last 
dollar in the mess fund, or the cook's life in collecting the 
necessary ingredients. After a great deal of trouble, the 
meat and potatoes were procured, and it was not long 
before the cook had them in readiness for mixing in an 
improvised chopping tra\\ Having occasion to go out of 
the tent on some errand or other, he placed the dish on 
a rickety shelf, beneath one equally as insecure on 
which were placed his supph' of candles, etc. He was 
one of the best culinary artists in the regiment, but un- 
fortunately was near-sighted, which in this instance was the 
occasion of grief to his superiors. On his return he took 
his tray and knife, and in a short time the mess was in 
proper shape for the pan, and it was not very long before 
the glad announcement was made, that the banquet was 
ready. Surely a more daint}' looking or savor}' smelling 
dish of hash was never set before a Vermont farmer. Its 
very appearance took them back to the Green Mountains, 
and both eyes and mouth watered at the remembrance of 
the one, and the toothsome appearance of the other. Gen- 
eral IIenr\' was the first to respond to the cook's call, 



THE MUSIC AND SOiXGS OF THE WAR. 195 

and in the twinkling of an eye, a large table-spoonful found 
its way between his capacious jaws. The taste was not up 
to the looks hardly, the general making a wry face. 
"What in the devil makes the stuff taste so," he said, " it 
looks all right?" "Well, I can't see," said the cook, " put 
some pepper sauce on it, and try it again." The general 
followed his advice, and with the assistance of the pepper 
sauce, made a hearty meal. He was in turn followed by the 
several of^cers of the field and staff, from the lieutenant- 
colonel to the chaplain, all of whom found the same fault 
as the general, with the first mouthful, but like him, an ap- 
plication of the pepper sauce seasoned the lump, and the 
result was, that when all were filled, but little of the hash 
was left, some three or four tablespoonfuls, and this, the cook, 
being a liberal fellow, turned over to the little darkey, w^ho 
was his man of all work. He had but barely tasted of his 
spoonful, when he blurted out, " W'ho in de debbil put de 
soap in dat hash ?" The mystery was explained, for the cook 
on the impulse of the moment burst out, — "Well, there, I 
couldn't think where in thunder my bar of soap went to." 
It seems that when he put the dish with the material 
for the hash in it on the shelf, a bar of soap on the shelf 
above had slid into it, and the cook being near-sighted, 
not noticing the addition, had chopped it up with the 
meat and vegetables, and the field and staff officers of 
the gallant Vermont regiment had actually eaten two 
pounds of soap, well seasoned with pepper sauce. It 
remained for the little contraband to make the discovery, 
thus proving that if he was ignorant of maple sugar, he 
was no slouch on common bar soap. 

Rut the hour is arriving for the event of the day \\hen, if 
the regiment is in camp in the vicinity of a town, a crowd 
is sure to attend. 

The companies are forming in their respective streets, 
there is a bustle that denotes something of importance 



196 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

about to occur, and the appearance of the men dressed hi 
their very best, the tooting of horns in the band quarters, 
and the gorgeous figure of the drum-major, who stands 
majestically sucking the silver head of his baton, all impress 
the stranger, who is mystified and his understanding made 
no clearer by the notes of the assembly, which are quickh' 
followed by the adjutant's call for dress parade. 

One of the most pleasing reminiscences of the first }'ear 
of the war is the regimental dress parade, — and at the same 
time, one of the saddest, for it was before the great battles 
of the Rebellion had so frightfully decimated the ranks of 
many gallant regiments, and Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, 
Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, and many other sanguinary 
conflicts were hidden in the merciful future. Those were 
the days when the boys of New Hampshire were so proud of 
their commanders, as, opposite the colors on dress parade, 
they put them through the manual of arms. Bell and Fort 
Fisher, Cross and Gettysburg, Putnam and Wagner, Lull 
and Port Hudson, and Gardiner and Winchester will be 
names forever inseparable. 

One instance of the effect of music will not be out of 
place to mention here. On the 17th of March, the anniver- 
sary of a holiday, dear to many born in another country, 
but identified with the destinies of this nation since its be- 
ginning, the Third New Hampshire Infantry was encamped 
on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. In its ranks was 
a company of men of Irish birth or of direct Irish origin, 
commanded by the genial, brave Capt. M. T. Donohoe, 
later, Colonel of the Tenth N. H. Volunteers. It occurred 
to a young fellow, a member of the regimental band, that 
it would not be inappropriate to have the air so dear to 
every son of the Emerald Isle, played at troop during dress 
parade. The band-master was only too glad to arrange for 
a surprise, for up to that da\- tlic tune had not been played 
in the regiment, the air not being in the band book's 



THE MUSIC AND SONGS OF THE WAR. 197 

score. When evening arriv^ed, and the regiment was at 
parade rest, the men all having that listless appearance 
which was but the natural consequence of a daily duty be- 
fore facing the real life of active service, the drums beat for 
troop, and the band, headed by the drum-major, marched 
down the centre, keeping step to a lively waltz. 

On arriving at the left of the line, it countermarched, 
halted for a moment, and then moved forward to the tune 
of " St. Patrick's Day in the Morning." Every man did his 
level best, and every eye was fixed on Co. C, which was the 
second company on the left, and all were rewarded, for it 
seemed as if an electric shock had struck the boys, and in 
spite of all they could do to prevent it, parade rest was for- 
gotten, and each man straightened up like a grenadier for 
inspection, muscles rigid, eyes brightened, cheeks tear- 
stained, and hearts softened at the recollection of homes, 
which many were destined never to see, and friends whose 
eyes would never be gladdened by their presence. It was 
but natural that a little celebration was held in the captain's 
tent after dress parade, and the occasion made one to be 
remembered b}' all who participated. 

The forming of the regiment into a hollow square after 
exercise in the manual of arms, and the reading of 
orders, usually followed, when the parade closed with 
prayer by the chaplain. Quarters were reached in season 
for the supper call, when to those not detailed for guard 
duty the da}''s labor was practically over, and the time taken 
in writing, reading, grumbling, criticising their superior ofifi- 
cers, taking a hand at high-low-jack, euchre, whist, poker or 
forty-five until that unwelcome signal, the tattoo, gave notice 
that it was about time to retire, quickly followed by taps, 
which announced the arrival of the hour when " lights out" 
was the order, and blanket street the thoroughfare. None 
of the ceremonies at the funeral of General Grant attracted 
more attention than those at the tomb, when the bugler, at 



198 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

the moment the coffin was assigned to its place, sounded 
taps, announcing that one of our greatest Hghts had been 
quenched forever. The same ceremony took place at the 
grave of General Sheridan, when his remains were consigned 
to the grave on the sloping lawn of Arlington Heights, 
where his body rests very appropriately leading the silent 
arm)' of 1 6,000, whose remains, like his, are within view of 
the capitol that was saved through their valor. 

But there was music of another character, to which our 
ears became accustomed in time, — the rollicking tunes 
played during the marches, after reveille in the morning, 
and just before tattoo in the evening. Man}- of them were 
familiar to our fathers' ears, — 

" For we are the same our fathers have been. 
We see the same sights our fathers have seen, 
We drink the same stream, we view the same sun. 
And run the same course our fathers have run." 

and heard on the field of Waterloo, at Fontena\', in the In- 
dies, and on the Plains of Abraham, where the fleur-de-lis 
went down before the cross of St. George. " Yankee 
Doodle," "The White Cockade," "The Bold Soldier Boy," 
" St. Patrick's Day," " Larry O'Gaff," "Jefferson's Liberty," 
"Garry Owen," " Sprig of Shillalah," and many others whose 
lively bars played by a good fife and drum corps, dispelled 
the weariness of a long march. Occasionally these lively 
airs were exchanged for those of a more solemn character, 
like the "Dead March in Saul," " Pleyel's Hymn," "Amer- 
ica," etc., as the remains of those who died of disease or 
wounds were conveved to their last resting-place. 

"Two wounded soldiers lay on the battlefield. 
At night when the sun went down ; 
One held a lock of thin grey hair. 
And one held a lock of brown ; 
One thought of his sweetheart back at home, 
Happy, and young and gay, 



THE jMUSIC and SOA'GS OF THE WAR. 1 99 

And one of his mother left alone, 
Feeble and old and grey." 

This part of the theme could not well conclude without 
alluding to one tune never heard with credit to the men for 
whom it was played, — the signal of disgrace, dishonor, and 
loss of manhood, for nothing could be more discreditable 
than to be drummed out of the service, at the point of the 
bayonet, to the music of the rogue's march. 

It was an air not often played, but once heard under such 
circumstances was not soon forgotten. 

SONGS OF THE WAR. 

" Sing them upon the sunny hills, 
When days are long and bright, 
And the blue gleam of shining rills 
Is loveliest to the sight; 
Sing them along the misty moor. 
Where ancient hunters roved. 
And swell them through the torrent's roar, 
The songs our fathers loved." 

There is no feature of the late unpleasantness that to-day 
awakens more enthusiasm than the singing of the old war 
songs connected with the great rebellion. A good illustra- 
tion of the truth of this was furnished at the National Con- 
vention of the Republican Party in Chicago in 1888, when 
the vast audience in the spacious tabernacle, numbering 
between ten and fifteen thousand, taking its cue from some 
remark of one of the speakers, burst out in an irresistible 
volume of song which swept ever}'thi ng before it, and for 
thirty minutes, despite the efforts of presiding ofificer, police- 
men, and ushers, the chorus of that grand old song illus- 
trative of Sherman's march to the sea, rang out again and 
again, until the refrain was taken up by the multitude out- 
side, and its echoes sent surging across the broad bosom of 
Lake Michigan. Again in the summer of 1883, when the 



200 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

National encampment of the Grand Arm}' of the Republic 
was held at Denver, Colorado, similar scenes were witnessed 
on the plains between Omaha and Julesburgh. 

If was the first occasion since the close of the war, that 
the veteran soldiers from all parts of the countr}' had an 
opportunit}' to renew old friendships, and form new ones. 
Many had with them their waves, and children, for the rates 
were cheap, and it was not an unusual sight to see old men 
and women, who had left the Eastern states thirt\' or forty 
years before to found homes in the great West, on the 
lookout for friends, or the children of friends, from New 
England. The department of Nebraska — a state made up 
largely of old soldiers — had printed for free distribution 
the old songs we used to sing when we were boys, forty 
years ago, "Do they miss me at home?" "The old folks 
at home," " Massa's in the cold, cold ground," "Nellie 
Gray," "Dearest May," "Roll on sih'er moon," etc., inter- 
spersed with the compositions of the war period. It is not 
too much to say that there is not one who went across the 
plains on that memorable occasion can ever forget it, for at 
intervals while waiting for a train due from the opposite 
direction, the occupants of five long sections, numbering 
nearly three thousand, all got (nit of the cars and massed 
closel\% led by one of the party, on top of a barrel or box, 
sang again and again the old songs and the new, on .the 
plains which were but a few years before occupied only by 
the now nearly extinct buffalo, and his savage master, the 
red Indian. How cnjoN'ablc all this was to the older mem- 
bers of the party, can be inferred from an incident which 
took place in a little hamlet, named Como. in the South 
Park, on the return trip through the mountains, between 
Leadville and Denver. While eating breakfast here, and 
feeling (]uite homesick, for friends were scattered in one 
direction or another, some e\'en on the home-stretch, a very 
pleasant-faced okl lady, e\identl\' betw een sixt\' and sexxMity 



THE MUSIC AND SONGS OF THE WAR. 20I 

years old, wearing gold-bowed glasses, approached me, and 
said, with such a ^\■istful, motherly expression, accompany- 
ing the words, "Isn't this Mr. Linehan?" "Yes, ma'am," 
said I, naturally a little surprised. "Oh, dear!" said she, 
" I do wish you would sing again one of those old songs. 
I have been living among strangers since I left New Hamp- 
shire for Wisconsin, over thirty years ago. They do not 
know our ways, or sing our songs, and I would so love to 
hear them sung once more before I die," and her eyes filled 
with tears. '* My God, ma'am," said I, " }'ou are asking too 
much. There is a great difference in one's feelings between 
going out and coming back ; here I am alone, my New 
Hampshire friends are all gone. My thoughts are, not 
exactly on home and mother, but rather on wife and chil- 
dren, and I could no more sing than talk Gaelic to a High- 
lander. In fact, I feel more like uniting with you in having 
a good cr)^" This set her laughing, for like a good sensible 
soul, she saw the situation, as many others can, who have 
been in the same position. The result was that the balance 
of the ride to Denver was quite pleasant, with the old lady 
for a companion. 

When the Sherman expedition was on the way for the 
capture of Port Royal, in November, i86i, it was overtaken 
by a terrible storm which lasted three days. It was nothing 
new for me to experience a blow on the ocean, for I had 
been all through it, when coming to the country twelve 
years before, and it proved to be so attractive that I re- 
mained on deck until darkness set in. Consequently the 
hour was late when I turned in, down two stories, next to 
the temporary hospital, and were it not for the imperative 
call of Morpheus, I believe I would have staid on deck all 
night. Some of the poor fellows by my side were quite 
sick, one was already in a high fever, at times out of his 
head. He was only a boy of 17, and it was pitiful to hear 
him call in his delirium for his mother. At other times he 



202 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

would burst out sin^^ing the lu'mns he had so often sung at 
home. One in particular he was forever singing, " Green- 
ville," and I can never hear it now but the whole scene, like 
a picture, is brought before my view, the bunks, three high, 
each having two occupants, with an alley separating them 
and completely filling the space between decks, the dim 
light, the foul air, the pitching of the vessel, the creak- 
ing of the timbers, the clank of the machinery, the 
chaffing and joking of the well, and the complaints of 
the unfortunate seasick, or the moans of the poor fever- 
stricken boy in the hospital by my side. 

The second day out and the second night following were 
of the same character as those preceding, mild and pleasant, 
but, although the dreaded Hatteras had been passed, there 
was a change on the evening of the third day; a terrible 
storm blew up, whose memories will never be forgotten by 
those who were for three days at its mercy. By midnight 
it was impossible to stand, sit, or lie still. The whistling of 
the wind through the rigging, the creaking of the timbers, 
the pitching and rolling of the heavily laden steamer, the 
swash of the waves against the sides of the ship and the 
constant clank, clank, clank of the engines, as well as the 
fears of what might happen, kept us all awake; and, as if 
to make it more frightful the poor fellow stricken with fever 
was singing " Greenville " at the top of his voice, his feel- 
ings seeming to be in harmony with the storm, which howled 
and screamed like a pack of demons. Night brought no 
cessation of the storm. The port holes which had usually 
been left open to enable us to get fresh air, were now closed, 
screwed up tight, and to add to ov\x misery, the atmos- 
phere was indescribably foul in consequence. 

The result was that all were pretty well discouraged; 
that is, all but the delirious boy, whose strength seemed, if 
anything, to gain with the storm. Above the moans of the 
seasick, the roar of the waves, which was frightful, and the 



THE MUSIC AND SONGS OF THE WAR. 203 

regular clank of the machinery which was ever at work, 
arose his voice singing "Greenville." Completely tired out 
I final!}' fell asleep, onh' to be awakened by a rush of waters 
and the yells of those around me. For a moment I thought 
we were going to the bottom, for it seemed as if the vessel 
had turned over. I was not alone in that opinion, for some 
were pra\'ing, thinking their last hour had come sure, but 
the fact that we were still afloat gave us a little courage. 

We found one of the bull's eyes which had been simply 
closed without being screwed up, one of the bo}-s leaving it 
in that shape to get a little fresh air, had been burst open 
by an immense wave which had almost capsized the ship, 
and through this aperture came in an immense quantity of 
water, nearly drowning us out, as well as frightening us to 
death, before we found out the cause. Although the danger 
was over, sleep was out of the question. The old familiar 
sounds of the tempest, the creaking of the timbers, and the 
steady, monotonous action of the machinery were still heard, 
but something was missing. I turned round and faced the 
bunk on which the singer was h'ing, but his voice was still. 

I raised m\'self up on my elbow, and b\' the dim light of 
the lamp I could see his pale, white face and outstretched 
arms. Poor fellow ! his troubles were over, and " Green- 
ville " is never heard but the memories of that terrible night 
are brought fresh to my mind. 

This event was mentioned in an article published in the 
Boston Joju-fial 3. few years ago, and it was stated that the 
boy's name was not known, neither could it be told what 
became of the body. The article was read b\- Perry Kit- 
tredge of Concord, who was hospital steward of the Third 
N. H. He said the boy's name was Amasa Niles; that he 
remembered the event very well ; that the ofificer of the day 
desired to have the body thrown overboard, but he pro- 
tested against it, and succeeded in bringing it ashore and 
eivine it burial at Hilton Head. 



204 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT 

Those of us well up in the fifties, will remember the 
thrilling scene so often described b\' English writers, which 
occurred during the long siege of Lucknow, how when the 
garrison, reduced by exposure and starvation, was on the 
point of surrendering to the Sepo}'s, Jessie Brown, whose 
hearing had been sharpened by famine, and the desire to 
see the long-looked for re-enforcements, heard in the dis- 
tance the shrill strains of the pibroch, as the well known 
bag-pipes of the Highlands were called, pla}'ing the " Camp- 
bells are coming," and in a frenzy she burst out, " Dinna 
)'e no hear the pibroch," and most assuredly the Camp- 
bells did come, the distressed garrison was relieved, and 
one of the most affecting and brilliant episodes of the 
English in the East Indies placed on record, the memories 
of which exist to this da}'. 

An incident hardly in line with this occurred, it is said, 
during the Civil War. A volunteer regiment from New 
York, was composed largely of the sons of old Scotia. 
They had with them, in addition to the band and drum 
corps, a section of bag-pipe plaj'ers. In one of the en- 
gagements in which the regiment took part, a soldier had 
one of his limbs badh' fractured by the explosion of a 
shell. He was taken for treatment to a temporary hos- 
pital connected with another regiment, which was made 
up mainl}' of Americans. He was so weak that when 
the amputation of the leg was finished, the surgeon in 
charge entertained but little hopes of his recovery. 

When Sandy became full}' conscious, realizing his situa- 
tion, he looked up piteousl}' to the surgeon, and, in a 
quivering voice, said, " Docther, am I gaang to dee?" " I am 
afraid }-ou are, Santl}-," replied the surgeon in a s}-mpa- 
thetic voice. "Is there anything I can do for }()u while 
}-ou remain here?" Sandy looked at him mournfully, and 
said, " Docthcr, I wad like to hear the pibroch, before I 
dee." This touched the sm'gcon's heart. He sent at once to 



THE MUSIC AND SONGS OF THE WAR. 205 

the camp of the Scotch rct;imcnt for a piper, and in a short 
time he made his appearance in tartan and kilt, and Sandy's 
heart was gladdened by the strains of the " Bonnie blue- 
bells of Scotland," and the other tunes which are so dear to 
the heart of every true son of the land of Wallace and Scott. 
The result was that in a short time, in his enfeebled con- 
dition, the music had a soothing effect, and he fell into 
a gentle slumber, the piper meanwhile withdrawing. On 
awaking, the surgeon was surprised to find his pulse better, 
and the patient very much stronger. Again he asked Sandy 
if there was anything else he could do for him. He, poor 
fellow, made another request to have the piper play for him. 
He came, and the effect was the same as at first. With 
his ears filled with the ear piercing strains of the pipes 
Sandy again fell asleep, only to awake after a long slumber, 
stronger than ever. This time he partook of some nourish- 
ing food, and again begged for the piper. To make a long 
story short, as the surgeon tells it, to everybody's surprise, 
the Scotchman recovered, and lived for many years to draw 
a well-earned pension. The doctor never tires of telling 
the story, as he too is a great believer in the effect of 
music and of song. When recently he had narrated it to 
an interested group of listeners, a lady in the part}' burst 
out, " Why, doctor, that was something marvelous." " Yes, 
it was," said he, "but I haven't given you the sequel, — 
while the music of the pipes was the means of saving San- 
dy's life, it caused the death of every other patient in the 
hospital." 

"Yankee Doodle came to town riding on a pony" just 
on the eve of the Revolution, but before that struggle was 
ended, the pony became a full grown steed, and his master 
made the haughty British grenadiers dance man}- a step to 
its lively strains, so that during the first quarter of a cen- 
tury of the Republic, the humble ditt}' sung to ridicule the 
pioneer soldiers of the Union, became the National air of 



2o6 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT 

America, retainin<^ its place until, from out of the storm 
■which burst on Baltimore in the bombardment of the 
British in the war of 1812, it was replaced by one more 
appropriate and well worthy of the occasion which gave it 
birth. 

No national song in existence had a more dramatic, or 
patriotic origin, and yet, but scant praise has been given to 
its author. The name of Roger DeLisle is known to every 
school boy in France as the author of the French National 
anthem. The occasion of its composition has been told in 
story and song, and its creator immortalized in marble and 
bronze, — but how many of us are familiar with the story of 
the young American volunteer, who, while conveying under 
the cover of darkness a message to the commander of 
Fort McHenry, was captured in Baltimore Harbor b)' a 
boat's crew of British tars, taken on board the English 
flag-ship, and on giving his parole, allowed the liberty of 
the vessel. Sleep had no charms for him, for he remained on 
deck the livelong night, watching and waiting, and pra}'ing, 
while the guns of the enemy thundered on the fort, which 
was the only bulwark between Baltimore and destruction. 
The long night finally came to an end, and the first streak 
of the morning light found him still at his post, striving 
vainly to pierce the cloud of sulphurous smoke which en- 
veloped Fort McHenry. 

But he was repaid for his long and wear\' vigil. The 
morning breeze finally raised the curtain, and revealed to 
his delighted e)^es his country's standard, the Star Span- 
gled Banner which still floated, beautiful and defiant, above 
the ramparts which had saved Baltimore from the fate 
of Washington. Was it an}- wonder then that his feelings, 
repressed during the long hours of suspense and anxiety, 
found expression in the song which, regardless of all rivals, 
still remains the National air of America, — 



THE MUSIC AND SONGS OF THE WAR. 20J 

"And the Star Spangled Banner, 
Oh, long may it wave. 
O'er the land of the free. 

And the home of the brave.'"' 

Its triumphant strains were heard when the Confederate 
flag went down before Diipont's fleet at Port Royal, in the 
autumn of 1861, and its exultant notes filled the air, when 
the standard it represents went up over the ruins of Sum- 
ter three years later. Glorious banner ! the rallying point 
of heroes on the battlefield, and the symbol of liberty the 
world over. While the memories of the Civil War last, no 
other flag can replace thee. 

If, then, the Songs of the War are so pleasing to those 
who were not participants in the great struggle which pro- 
duced them, how much dearer must they be to the boys 
who sung them in the camp, when first mustered in, on the 
march, or at home, "when this cruel war is over," at camp- 
fire or reunion. And how busily memory will work when 
one thinks of the first time he had heard this or that air, 
now so common. It has been told, and I believe never 
contradicted, that the very first song of the war, usually 
supposed on account of its name to be of southern origin, 
was composed and written by Dan Emmett, the celebrated 
minstrel performer, in the winter of i860. He had just re- 
turned from a year or two of sojourn in the South with his 
troupe, and on coming out of his theatre one night in New 
York, the contrast between the two atmospheres of the 
sunny South and the bleak east wind of the Atlantic was so 
sharp that involuntarily he burst out with a shrug of the 
shoulder, " Ugh ! I wish I was in Dixie." " Hey, Dan," 
said one of his companions, " \\\\y not write a song and 
dance on it?" and it was done; and like wildfire, it spread 
over both North and South, seemingly as a precursor of the 
great struggle which was to begin the following spring. 

The South claimed it, but the North would not give it 



208 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

up ; and from that day to this, on account of its popularit)', 
on both sides it can be truthfully said that no air is more 
taking than "Dixie's Land." 

A distinguished Union officer, who was in Washington 
on court-martial duty during the closing da}-s of the re- 
bellion, told me ten years ago, in New York, during the 
Centennial of the Inauguration of Washington, while we 
were viewing the great military parade and listening to 
Dixie as rendered by the renowned Gilmore's band, that 
after the fall of Petersburg, and during the period between 
that event and the surrender of Lee's army, crowds of 
people were constantly around the White House to hear the 
news and to see tlie president. On the night after the an- 
nouncement of the victory at Five Forks and the expected 
capture of the rebel forces, after the president had made his 
usuall}' happy speech, some one in the crowd called to 
have the band play Dixie. At this there were loud cries 
of dissent, but all were hushed when the tall form of the 
president was seen in the portico, with outstretched arms. 
" Fellow citizens," said he, "Dixie is ours; we have cap- 
tured it, and no power on earth can take it from us." A 
roar like Niagara from the crowd, and Dixie's Land from 
the Marine band was the response to the president's happy 
retort, and the ownership of Dixie was forever set at rest. 

At Yorktown, during the centennial of 1882, I was there 
as the guest of the battalion of National Guard from our 
state. The first da}' on shore, at our quarters, while the 
battalion were out on the field for exercise, I looked around 
to see who were our neighbors, and found that South Caro- 
lina was located on our right. Now I was interested in 
that state, being one of the first to land at Hilton Head 
after the fall of Port Royal in 1861. So I stepped across 
the " chasm," and found a pleasant faced man in uniform, 
rank of first lieutenant, — the regimental commissary, — super- 
intending the preparations for dinner, and ver\- bus\-, as the 



THE MUSIC AND SONGS OF THE WAR. 209 

delegation was expected every minute. When he told me 
that he was from the old Palmetto state I unbosomed my- 
self, and told him that I was also a citizen of the good old 
commonwealth for awhile ; and when I told him in what 
capacit}% and the color of my uniform, — why he could not 
have been more pleased had the governor of North Carolina 
made his long-expected call. In the twinkling of an eye 
he initiated me into the delightful ceremony which is sup- 
posed to take place when the governors of the old North 
and South stcjtes meet. Now, this was all done with a 
knowledge of the fact that I was one of those — though in 
a humble capacity — in Sherman's expedition and Dupont's 
fleet, that sent him on the home-stretch for " Blufton on de 
main, sah," more than twenty-one years before. Now the 
thought occurred to me that it would be a proper thing to 
get our regimental band together — Blaisdell's Third Regi- 
ment of Concord — and receive the South Carolinians in style. 
The boys were only too glad to do it, and they were got 
together barely in time, for the head of the column, led by 
Governor Haygood, accompanied by his staff and followed 
by a full regiment in rebel gray, made its appearance, tired, 
dry, and dusty in consequence of its long march from the 
railroad station. The band struck up a rousing quickstep, 
and a more surprised crowd was rarely seen. Exclamations 
and introductions followed, and again and again the delightful 
ceremony peculiar to the governors of North and South 
Carolina was celebrated by the long-separated brethren. 

After awhile I was approached b}' the adjutant of the 
South Carolina Regiment, who said, " My dear sir, I would 
like to ask you a favor, but am afraid you will be offended." 
" Pooh, you cannot ask an}'thing offensive," said I. " What 
is it?" "You have a splendid band, better than we are 
accustomed to hear ; would it be too much to ask you to 
play Dixie? It would make our boys wild." I laughed. 
"Why," said I, " do you claim that? It is as much ours as 
14 



2IO SEVEA^TEENTll NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

}'ours. Of course \vc will pla\- it." I went to Prof. Blais- 
dell, and fortunately he had a medley of army airs. It took 
but little time to get read\% and when the band struck up 
the well known song, the Palmetto boys were wild, and the 
rebel yell, ear-piercing and shrill, filled the air. " Yankee 
Doodle" and the "Star Spangled Banner" closed the im- 
promptu serenade, both of which were cheered as loudly 
as " Dixie." By this time our bo}'s got in from drill, and 
led by the gallant Col. Copp, their commander, who spent 
three years on South Carolina soil, exchanged courtesies 
and decorations. No doubt the Palmetto badge which was 
turned over at that time is cherished by many of our New 
Hampshire boys as a memento of the trip. The event itself 
is another illustration of the power of music and song ; for 
the self-same adjutant, in the fulness of his heart, said, "Lin- 
chan, it is no use talking ; }'ou were right and we were 
wrong, and I am d — d glad the Union was saved." 

But of all the songs that carry us back to the stirring 
days of 1861, is that one above all others, to whose music 
marched the best blood of our nation, before bounties or 
substitutes were thought of, — that glorious anthem, whose 
origin is a mystery, for its composition has never been sat- 
isfactorily explained. At once a source of inspiration to the 
Union volunteers and a tribute to the man for whom it was 
named, — who laid down his life freely for the lowliest and 
most despised in the land, — was it any wonder, then, that the 
gifted New P^ngland poetess, on hearing it sung around the 
countless camp-fires of McClellan's arm\', entrenched along 
the Potomac in the winter of 1861, should biu'st out, — 

*' Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord, 

He is pressing out the vintage which the grapes of wrath have stored." 

For as long as the last veteran lives wlio was among those 
that wintered in Washington in the fall and winter of 1861, 
so long will be remembered the strains of 



:. .- THE MUSIC AND SOlYGS OP THE WAR. ill 

"John Brown's body lies mouldering in his grave. 
But his soul is marching on." 

r The effect of this song-, when heard in camp or on the 
march, was simply indescribable, and often, when tired and 
lank, both weariness and hunger disappeared, for the time 
•being, when some bold spirit struck up the refrain. Of 
another character altogether was a song written by the late 
P. S; Gilmore, the great. jubilee projector, and, during the 
-war, bandmaster of the 34th Massachusetts. He adapted 
-the words to a rollicking old Irish air. The boys, however, 
added several verses, a little " off color" from a prohibition 
.standpoint, and used to sing them with a vigor that would 
please the author of the original. ' 

" For we '11 all drink stone blind, 
When Johnnie comes marching home." 

• It was very appropriate in its day, however, and popular 
both at home and at the front. It wds wonderful, in this con- 
nection, to see how soon our bo}^s " caught on " to the new 
songs, though they never forgot the old ones, and often sang 
them with as much zeal as when at singing-school, or taking 
part in the exercises in the " old meeting-house on the green." 
It is said that on the retreat before Richmond, in June, 
•1862, when our army was driven back, every day, leaving 
behind their dead and wounded, that one night. Just before 
the Battle of Malvern Hill, a rebel picket said to his com- 
rade, " It 's no use, Jim, we can never lick them Yanks." 
"What makes you think so?" said the other. "What 
makes me think so? Don't }'ou hear that? We have 
driven them fellows every day for a week, capturing their 
camps, their blankets, and their grub, and I '11 be hanged if 
there they ain't singing now, as if they were going to a wed- 
ding. It's no use, Jim, they don't know when they are 
licked ! " And it was no wonder that "Johnny Reb" had 
that impression, for it was a very dull crowd around camp- 
fire or at mess that the old songs of home were not heard. 



212 SE VEN'l -EENTH NE W HA MPS HIKE RE GIMENT. 

" Saw my leg off short," adapted to the well known air of 
"Greenville;"' *' Old Grimes is dead, that good old man," 
"There were three crows sat on a tree," etc., and when 
were added the later songs of the period, " Rally round the 
flag," " Tenting on the old camp-ground," " Tramp, tramp, 
tramp, the boys are marching," " Who will care for mother 
now," "The Vacant Chair," "Kingdom Coming," "Old 
Shady," etc., interspersed with the glorious " Star Spangled 
Banner" and "My country; 'tis of thee," it is not surpris- 
ing that the spirits of the Union soldiers were buoyant; for 
with such music and such songs, men never knew when they 
were beaten, and were therefore unconquerable. It is a 
pleasure to note that the sweetest, the most pathetic, and 
the one of all that awakes memories of the past, is "Tent- 
ing on the old camp-ground," the composition, words and 
music, of Walter S. Kittredge, a son of New Hampshire. 
When the grand achievement of Sherman electrified the 
nation by his march from Atlanta to the sea, a new song, 
which is destined to live,, tile words and music of which har- 
monize admirably with the theme, and which the people 
never tire of hearing, was added to the long list, already 
produced by the stirring events of the period, and proving 
the truth of the Scriptural saying, that the last shall be 
better than the first, for of all the songs of the war, none 
will create more enthusiasm than 

" Marchin<ij through Georgia."' 

It can then safely be said that, long after the last survivor 
of the Rebellion has been mustered out, that the music and 
songs of the war that saved the Union and freed the slave, 
will be played and sung by millions who will enjoy the 
blessings to be found only untler a government like ours, 
and may it be their lot then, as it is ours now, to sing in 
the midst of peace and prosperit}^ the world's song of 
" Home, sweet home." 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

Regimental Histories and Their Relation to the 
Annals of the State. 

By albert STILLMAN BATCHELLOR. 

The little group of settlements begun in 1622, later tak- 
ing the names of Portsmouth, Dover, Hampton, and Exeter, 
and eventuall}', with their subdivisions and extensions 
towards the interior, forming the municipal constituents of 
the frontier province of New Hampshire, were early made 
familiar with all the essentials of war and educated to a 
mastery of its dire necessities. The supremacy of France 
in the north and the interposition of many tribes of savages 
between the English colonies and those of their rivals in the 
new civilization of North America, were constant menaces 
to our pioneer ancestors. At six distinct periods an actual 
state of war was recognized, and its existence met by levies 
of men and material which severely tried the resources of 
the colonists at all times, and often to the limit of their 
ability. The stockade was as much the evidence and con- 
comitant of the progress of this people in the reduction of 
the wilderness as was the meeting-house. The narratives 
of the adventurous and hereditary heroism of the men and 
women of the early periods of the extension of New Hamp- 
shire from the little fringe of hamlets on the sea shore, and 
its islands and inlets, to the borders established at the close 
of the war in 1760, fill our literature of history with an 
inspiration which has nerved the succeeding generations to 
heroic deeds. 

No more striking and instructive exemplars of the litera- 



214 -^^ VENTEENTH NE IF HAMPSHIRE RE GIMENT. 

tare of ad\-cnturc and daring arc afforded, even in these 
da}'s of profusion in book production, than those chapters 
of New Hampshire history which recount the W'aldron 
tragedy at Dover, the blood}' adventure of Hannah Dus- 
ton, the battles of Lovewell with the Pecjuaquets, the Kil- 
burn defense of the block-house at Walpole, the strategy of 
Joseph Wliipple at Jefferson, the fight at Baker's river, the 
captivity of Stark,- the destruction of the Indian town of St. 
Francis, and scores of others equally tr\'ing to human forti- 
tude. Indeed these narratives of the brave and adventurous 
people who were the state makers of New Hampshire are 
almost innumerable, — 

. ," Wherein I spake of most disastrous chances, 

Of moving accidents by flood and field ; 
-■'-■•^ -Of hair breadth 'scapes i'' the imminent deadly breach ; 
.J :j Of being taken by tlVe insolent foe, 

And sokl to slavery ; of my redem])tion thence." 

The first general Indian war which the New Hampshire, 
settlers encountered was known as King Phillip's war. It 
continued with some intermissions during three years, 1675- 
'78, in the period of the first union of the New Hampshire 
towns with Massachusetts Bay colony. Mr. Belknap's 
chapter 5, Histor}' of New Hampshire, Farmer's edition, is. 
devoted to a narrative of events connected with these hos- 
tilities.* The next was known as King William's war. 
The. French to, the northward in Canada cooperated with the 
Indians and carried on a conflict after the Indian fashion, from 
1688 to 1698, a period of ten years. This was a most disas- 
trous decade for the people of the frontier towns. A narrative 
of the war is given by Mr. Belknap in his chapter 10. Cot- 

*History of the Indian Wars in New England by Rev. William Hubbard, edited by 
Samuel A. Drake, 1865; the old Indian chronicle bein[j a collection of exceeding rare 
tracts, written and published in the time of King Philliji's war, by persons residing in 
the county; notes by S. G. Drake, 1867; Soldiers of King Phillip's War, by G. W. W. 
Bodge, 1896. 



A'EG/iUEJVTAL HISTOKIES AND THE STA'JE. 



215 



ton Mather's account is found in his Rcinarkablcs of ihc 
Eastern War. A short period of comjiarative peace fol- 
lowed. In 1703, war with the h^-ench and Indians was 
again on, with a repetition of the alarm, material loss, suf- 
fering, and destruction 
with which the people 
had already become 
familiar. This, the third 
general conflict with the 
savages, was, like the 
second, waged on the 
part of the French and 
Indians as allies. It is 
known as Queen Anne's 
war. It terminated in 
1 71 3, soon after the 
treaty of Utrecht con- 
cluded bet w e c n the 
French and English gov^- 
ernments. Its ten years' 
duration suggested a 
similarity with King Wil- 
liam's war in this particu- 
lar, and Mr. Mather's Deccnuinui Luclitosuju was descrip- 
tive of both. Chapter 12 of Mr. Belknap's history is de- 
voted to this war. 

The interim of peace at this time was about ten years. 
In 1722, the province was again at war with the Indians. 
This was termed Lovewell's war, and continued three 
years. This famous ranger led three several expeditions 
against the Indians, sacrificing his own life in the last. 
These have always been considered as among the most 
famous in the annals of Indian warfare. The earlier New 
England historians, Hubbard and others as well a« Mather, 
gave valuable accounts of such of these wars as were sub 




ALIJERT S. liAlCllKLl.uK. 



2l6 SEVENTEENTH iXEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

jects of record in their time. Queen Anne's war and Lo\'e- 
well's were described by Samuel Penhallow, a prominent 
citizen of this pro\nnce, and at one time its chief justice. 
His work is the first miHtary history of any considerable 
pretension written by a New Hampshire author. It is a 
very rare work. A reprint may be found in Vol. i, Col- 
lections of the New Hampshire Historical Society, pp. 9— 
135, and it was also republished at Cincinnati in 1859 in a 
separate volume edited by Harpel. Lovewell's war is 
treated in chapter 14 of Belknap. "An Indian war," says 
Belknap, " was a necessary appendage to a war with 
France." In 1744, after the unusually long period of 
nearly twenty years of tranquility, France having become 
involved in the war between England and Spain, New 
Hampshire, with the other colonies, was drawn into the 
conflict and took an active part in it. This war, with its 
accompaniments of ravages of the frontier, and expedi- 
tions to the northward by sea and land, including the 
reduction of Louisburg, continued five years, 1744-49. 
Samuel Moore commanded a New Hampshire regiment, 
and ships and sailors were also equipped by this province. 
The account of it given by Mr. Belknap occupies his chap- 
ters 19 and 20. New Hampshire supplied men and 
means for the Louisburg campaign with great liberality 
and success. Col. George C. Gilmore, commissioner for 
the state, has contributed a valuable addition to the litera- 
ture of this expedition in the Roll of New Hampshire Men 
at Louisburg, Cape Breton, 1745, published by the state 
in 1896. 

Only five years intervened between this and the last 
French and Indian war. The peace of Ai.\-la-Chapelle 
took place in 1748, and hostilities closed in the ensuing 
year, but were renewed in 1754. The "Seven Years War," 
so called, occupies a prominent niche in New Hampshire 
history. This province bore a conspicuous part in the 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND THE STATE. 21 7 

Struggle which resulted in finally wresting the northern 
dependencies from the French. Robert Rogers, the 
ranger, with his corps, which was largely drawn from New 
Hampshire, has also held high place in the stories of 
daring deeds which distinguished that long contest. This 
was the military academy from which graduated Washing- 
ton, Stark, and a multitude of other leaders and soldiers of 
the Revolution. Chandler E. Potter, in his Military His- 
tory of New Hampshire, Adjutant General's Report, 1866, 
Vol. 2, and continued in the same for 1868, gives much 
space to the narrative of operation and the rolls of New 
Hampshire men engaged in it. Mr. Belknap also summa- 
rizes the events of the war in chapter 22 of his work. 
Regiments and large parts of regiments were successively 
forwarded to the seat of war from New Hampshire, under 
Col. Joseph Blanchard, Col. Peter Oilman, Col. Nathaniel 
Meserve, Col. John Goffe, Major Thomas Tash, Col. John 
Hoit, Col. Zacheus Lovewell, and Major Robert Rogers, 
with whom John and William Stark served as captains. In 
the one hundred years preceding the War of the Revolu- 
tion this province had borne a responsible and honorable 
share as frontier territory, and as an active participant in 
the six wars of the colonists and the mother country 
against the French and Indians, aggregating a period of 
thirty-eight years. As early as 1690 these colonies, with 
a considerable contribution of New Hampshire soldiers, 
sailors, and ships, carried the war to the front of Fronte- 
nac's stronghold on the St. Lawrence, and in the later 
wars twice assisted in the reduction of the fortress of 
Louisburg. 

In the next, the century of independence, again e\'er}' 
generation had its war — the Revolution, i775-'82; the 
second war with England, 1812-15 ; the war with Mexico, 
1846-48 ; the Civil War of 1861-65 '* and now, in 1898, 

*For the account of >Jevv Hampshire's participation in the War of iSi2-'i5,and that 
with Mexico, see Potter's History in Adjutant General's Report for 1S68. 



2l8 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

the war with Spain. And meantime no permanent peace 
was maintained with the Indians of the western wilder- 
ness until within our own time, in which extermination, 
reconcentration, and civilization have closed the bloody 
record of the encroachments of the whites upon the Indian 
domain, and Indian resistance and retaliation. New Hamp- 
shire has had place hardly 300 years in the geogra- 
phy of the world's progress, yet in that epoch her litera- 
ture, largel}' historical, has become abundant. This is 
specially evident in the domain of her military annals. 
These are rich in material, both manuscripts and prints, 
for the student of this historical specialty. Individuals and 
organizations are producing from various sources, both 
local and remote, monographs, and more pretentious trea- 
tises that are of conspicuous merit.* 

To those who are making studies in provincial records, 
biography of leaders, and the history of organizations or 
commands in the Revolutionary period, the lesson of duty 
which the civilians and veterans of this generation owe to 
posterity in the preservation of the militar}^ history of our 
own time is brought home. The difficulty of identifying 
names in the rolls of the organizations serving in the 
Revolution, \\'ith places of residence, family connection, 
and of particular lines of service, is often iiisurmountable. 
The accounts of campaigns of particular companies, de- 
tachments, and regiments are incomplete, indefinite, and 
confusing. The men who marched with the colors from 
Concord and Lexington to Yorktown, deserved better things 
of history and of the state. Dr. Belknap, in his work, 
which is still the unsurpassed narrative of New Hampshire 

*Tlie indefatigable efforts ol Col. Gilmore of Manchester in tracing individual 
records of soldiers of New Hanipsliire in the Revolution arc specially valuable in prac- 
tical results. Besides the accunuilation of a great many manuscript notes, he has pro- 
duced restored rolls of New Hampshire men at Br.nker Hill and at Bennington which 
have been published. Report of special commissioner [George C. Gi more] on the 
Bunker Hill memsrial tablets, 1891. Roll of New Hampshire Soldiers at the Battle 
of Bennington, Aug. 16, 1777. Compiled by George C. Gilmore, 1S91. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND THE STATE. 219 

annals from 1622 to 1790, devotes but one chapter to the 
War of the Revohition with A\hich he was contemporaneous. 
His work, however, was pubhsheci with financial aid from 
the general court, and thus the fathers gave practical con- 
struction in this behalf to the powers of the constitution 
which they had then but recently promulgated. They 
enunciated in that instrument the true principle for the 
guidance of those who should follow them and realize the 
prophetic and practical qualit)' of their wisdom. Our state 
constitution, article 82, is in part as follows: — 

" Knowledge and learning generally diffused through a community 
being e.ssential to the preservation of a free government, and spreading 
the opportunities and advantages of education through the various parts 
of the country being highly conducive to promote this end, it shall be 
the duty of the legislators and the magistrates in all future periods of 
this government to cherish the interest of literature and the sciences." 

It remained for a patriotic public sentiment developed 
since our own Civil War to bring out a state military history 
in the work of Col. Potter, and to make the Revolutionary 
rolls accessible to all interested students in the four x'olumes 
of State Papers, 14, 15, 16, and 17, which were so faithfully 
edited by Isaac W. Hammond. The widespread revival of 
interest in historical research which is now stimulating in- 
dividual and associated effort, both in new and old fields, 
has fortunately concentrated much attention upon the col- 
onial and Revolutionary period. The New Hampshire 
Historical Society is now making the Revolution a special 
subject of biographical investigation. The societies of Sons 
of the American Revolution, Sons of the Revolution, 
Daughters of the American Revolution, and several local 
societies are industrious co-workers to a common purpose. 
The Society of Colonial Wars and the Society of Colonial 
Dames are necessarily more interested in an earlier but 
equalh* important period. They will subserve a most benef- 
icent mission if they shall be able to make their publica- 



2 20 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

tions abundant in authentic and systematic monographs and 
treatises in the history of New Hampshire in the colonial 
wars, New Hampshire's colonial regiments and ranging 
companies, New Hampshire in the colonial navy, New 
Hampshire's colonial governors, and her military leaders 
before the Revolution. 

This new departure in historical research and production 
was inaugurated by Hon. Ezra S. Stearns, one of the most 
accomplished students and writers of New Hampshire his- 
tory, in his monograph on Meshech Weare, published in a 
handsome pamphlet, and in the Proceedings of the New 
Hampshire Society of Sons of the American Revolution.* 
More than two score of topics in the same field are now 
prepared or assigned for the societ}\ Local Historical so- 
cieties, also, like that at Manchester and that at Dover, are 
most effective auxiliaries in this work of investigation, com- 
pilation, and publication.! 

The earlier historians accorded scant mention of men and 
events in the northern part of the state in the Revolutionary 
period. This omission has been partially rectified in recent 
years by northern investigation, and by those who have in- 
terested themselves in topics connected with the early Revo- 
lutionary history of the ancient Grafton and Coos region. 
Among them are Samuel C. Bartlett in his addresses on 
New Hampshire in the Revolution, on Gen. Stark, and on 
Lieut. -Col. John Wheelock ; Henry O. Kent in his historical 
addresses before the societies of the Colonial Wars and the 
Sons of the American Revolution ; Joseph B. Walker on 
Robert Rogers; Edgar Aldrich on Col. Timothy Bedel ; 
Chester B. Jordan on Joseph Whipple and Richard C. 

*Id. Proceedings of the New Hampshire Society of Sons of the .American Revolu- 
tion, 1889, 1S97, p. 62. 

tGov. William Plumer was a contemporary with the men of the Revolutionary 
period and those of the later province period. His biograjihies whicli are numerous and 
critical are contained in several MS.S. volumes in the custody of the N. H. Historical 
Society at Concord. An inde.x to these five MSS. volumes is printed in I. Proceed- 
ing N. H. Hist. Soc, 435-457- 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND THE STATE. 221 

Everett; Jeremiah E. Rankin on Capt. Jeremiah Eames; 
William H. Cotton on Lieut. Col. Elisha Payne; Charles R. 
Corning on Samuel Livermore, Robert Rogers, and Col. 
John Fenton ; William F. Whitchcr on Col. John Hurd ; 
Rev. J. O. Bittinger on Col. Charles Johnston; Roswell 
Farnham on Gen. Israel Morey ; Alfred Russell on CoJ. 
David Webster; Henry A. Hazen on Col. Moses Hazen ; 
John L. Rice on Dartmouth College and the State of New 
Connecticut; Frederick Chase on The College and the War 
of the Revolution ; Albert S. Batchellor on the History of 
the Northern Regiment of New Hampshire Revolutionary 
Militia; chapters of town history published and unpublished 
in Lancaster, Littleton, Haverhill, Hanover, Conway, Can- 
aan, Lebanon, Orford, Plymouth and Bristol; Child's Gaz- 
eteer of Grafton County and Fergusson's Histories of Coos 
County and of Carroll County. 

There is, it may be noted in passing, but one distinct- 
ively New Hampshire regimental history which relates to 
the period prior to the Civil War. This is a History of the 
First New Hampshire Regiment in the War of the Revolu- 
tion, by Frederic Kidder, published in Albany, N. Y., in 
1868. 

The Records of the New Hampshire branch of the 
Cincinnati was first published in the New Hampshire His- 
torical Society Collections pp. 278-307. It was reproduced 
in 22 State Papers pp. 759-820. The historical notes of 
John C. French on this subject are timely and valuable and 
have stimulated a wholesome interest in these documents 
and the historical and biographical data which they dis- 
close. 15 Granite Monthly, 123. 

The history of the part borne by the state, the munici- 
palities, and the military organizations and individuals of 
New Hampshire in the great struggle between the states is 
comprehensive, detailed and critical. In no other common- 
wealth has it taken substantial and permanent literary form, 



2 22 SEVENTEEA^TH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

on more progressive theories and with more satisfactory 
results.* 

Immcdiateh' upon the conchision of the war the rolls of 
those engaged for the state in the military service were 
published, but with inadequate preparation and correction. 
•These constitute Vols, i and 2 of the Adjutant-General's 
Report for 1865, and vol. i of the report for 1866. The 
contributions to the history of these various organizations 
are of unequal degrees of completeness and may be classi- 
fied as the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth series. The 
first series of these articles runs through both volumes of 
the Adjutant-General's Report for 1865. That oflficial, in 
his general remarks, says this of the nine monographs 
which he was able to present : 

" I here subjoin the record of the New Hampshire vohmteer orL:;ani7.- 
ations in their numerical order. I would add that, although the histor- 
ical report of nine of the regiments is most meager and of a most unsat- 
isfactorv nature, still it is the best that I have been able to obtain in a 
space of eight months. It is my wish, should I continue in office 
another year, to submit to your successor a historical report of the 
ojjerations of each New Hampsliire organization every way more com- 
plete and satisfactory." — Adjiitant-GeneraVs Report. 1 865, Vol. i, p. 56. 

The second series, consisting of papers more carefully 
and elaborateU' written, is given imder sanction of the adju- 
tant-general in his report for 1866, vol. 2. This excellent 
contribution to the militar\' histor}' of the state was made 

*The State publications, general histories, and regimental memorials are by no means 
til 3 only accessible repositories of New Hampshire's record in tlie Civil War. Each of the 
se.iesof histories of the ten counties has valuable chapters on this subject. Scores of 
town histories published since the war devote adequate space to the relations of town to 
persons and events in this conflict, and as to the war history of several towns' special 
volumes have appeared, of which those of Claremont and Pittsfield are examples. Pro- 
ceedings of the state encampment, the G. A. R. and of the auxiliary association of the 
Woman's Relief Corps, are sources of personal data of interest and importance. The 
historical contributions to the proceedings of the Massacliusetts Commandery of the 
Loyal Legion not infrequently give space to New Hampshire men and their services. 
The published proceedings at the dedication of soldiers' monuments and military 
memorial halls in towns and cities are in the same category. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND THE STATE. 223 

by Hon. George A. Marden, a veteran of the sharp- 
shooters, who took special charge of the collection of 
material and literary prosecution of the work in the office 
of the adjutant-general. (Report', 1866, vol. i, p. 7). 
The introductory notes mention those from whom the 
editor received contributions or special aid in his under- 
taking. "Volumes," he adds, " would be required to do 
justice to the historic deeds of the brave sons of New 
Hampshire ; but it is surely worth while to preserve even 
these brief accounts of their toils and sacrifices, their weary 
marches and hard fought battles. Scarce a fight has 
occurred in all the war whose story New Hampshire cannot 
claim as a part of her military record. Scarce a battlefield 
exists which has not been reddened by New Hampshire 
blood. And the noble deeds of the men of the Granite State 
are not excelled by those of any other state in the Union." 

The third series consists of the chapters directed to the 
records of the several organizations in Major Waite's his- 
tory. This work was prepared within a few years after the 
close of the war. It is briefly described by title as New 
Hampshire in the Great Rebellion, Containing Histories 
of the Several- New Hampshire Regiments and Biographi- 
cal Notices of Many of the Prominent Actors in the Civil 
War of 1861-65, by Major Otis F. R. Waite, Clarcmont, 
1870. The material contained in series one and two is 
^argely utilized in this volume. 

The fourth series includes the sketches (in most in- 
stances condensed from the more elaborate works of the 
authorized historians themselves) published in connection 
with the rolls of the several organizations in Gen. Ayling's 
Revised Register. 

The fifth series is the one which includes the final vol- 
umes which are now being published by the veteran asso- 
ciations with state cooperation under the provisions of the 
regimental history acts. 



224 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMrSHIRE REGIMENT. 

Descriptions of the separate chapters or vohinies of the 
several series, with a number of citations to articles or vol- 
umes not classified, are given under the names of the organ- 
izations to which they relate. 

The survivors of the regiments, battalions, batteries, and 
separate companies themselves were the first to recognize 
the inadequacy of the historical sketches which appeared 
not only in the state publications from the adjutant-gen- 
eral's office but in the periodicals, and incidentally in local 
and general histories which touched war subjects. They 
appreciated the utility of the service rendered in these pre- 
liminary essays, but at the same time they found in them 
the suggestion and impulse of a necessity for more com- 
plete and comprehensive undertakings in the same direc- 
tion at their own hands and under their own auspices. The 
veteran organizations, one after another, voted effective 
measures to this end, and selected historians or designated 
committees for the purpose of accomplishing a more ex- 
tended and a more adequate presentation of their several 
histories. Martin A. Haynes of the Second regiment was 
the pioneer in this state in what is now understood as the 
special domain of regimental history. His work, which 
will be bibliographically described hereafter, was published 
in 1865, and in a few years became a high priced rarity 
with collectors. The Fourteenth regiment, the last of those 
raised for three years' service, was the first to bring out its 
contribution to what is now regarded as the regimental his- 
tory series. This was in 1882. In many respects that 
history is a model. Its tables of information in the ap- 
pendix are unsurpassed in system and accurac}-. The 
narrative is graphic and discriminating, and the presenta- 
tion of facts interesting and reliable. It is also specially 
noteworthy in its attractive t)'pography and its satisfactory 
arrangement of the subject matter. 

The character and contents of these several histories 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND THE STATE. 225 

invite a more extended analysis and description than the 
h'mits of this chapter permit. It must suffice to remark 
that tiie student of New Hampshire mihtary history will 
find in their pages an abundance of facts arranged in most 
attractive narrative. It is the familiar story of march, 
bivouac, and battle, but it recounts what belongs to our 
own brethren, to our own time, and to our own community 
and commonwealth. 

The effect of such a publication as that brought out 
by the Fourteenth upon the veterans of other regi- 
ments was to stimulate a healthful and productive spirit of 
emulation. It was an object lesson to the legislature, and 
an unaswerable proof of the high quality of the historical 
work of which the veterans had proven themselves capa- 
ble as memorials of their service. Legislation resulted 
under which it has become practicable for every organiza- 
tion to produce its own history, prepared by its own 
chosen historian, and issued w'ithout the necessity of 
serious pecuniar}^ hazard. The first of the series of acts 
by which the regimental histories have been aided and 
encouraged was introduced in the house by Representa- 
tive Sulloway of Manchester in 1887.* 

The act of 1887 is entitled "Joint Resolution in Relation 
to the Purchase of the Histories of Military Organizations 
of the State in the Late War." The latest legislation on 
the same subject is the act of 1895, entitled, "An Act 
in Amendment of Chapter 14 of the Laws of 1891, Rela- 
ting to Free Public Libraries." 

The list which follows includes several publications 
which may not be accounted as properly classified with the 
regimental histor}' series. The Dartmouth Cawaliers were 

*The bill in the form first proposed encountered so much opposition that there was 
scant prospect of its success. By agreement of the parties most directly interested, a 
new bill was drawn to meet the reasonable suggestions of the friends and opponents of 
the original measure. The result was the act of 1S87. Each of the more recent sup- 
plements to the initial legislation was drawn by the same hand. 
15 



226 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

a body of cavalry accepted by Governor Sprague as Rhode 
Island volunteers, in which the greater part were students 
of Dartmouth college in 1862.* There were three com- 
panies of sharpshooters which were under command of 
Colonel Berdan, one in the First Regiment and two in the 
Second. The histor}- of this organization is in its general 
aspects the history of the New Hampshire contingent. 
Narratives of service and rolls of membership in more com- 
pact form have been published as contributions to the his- 
tory of the New Hampshire battery and the Fourth Regi- 
ment. These volumes must be regarded as parts of the 
regimental history series, at least until more elaborate 
works from the respective veteran associations which these 
works represent, are produced with state cooperation. The 
descriptive list here given follows the order of time of the 
first mustering in of the members of each organization. 
The history of regiments and other organized bodies of 
New Hampshire men are often touched upon and some- 
times treated at length in published biographies of ofificers 
and others who had part in the service. Beginning with 
newspapers and periodicals of the war time, and the Adju- 
tant-General's Report for 1865, vol. 2, and continuing to 
the valuable series presented incidentally with special 
department of biography as published b\' the Grafton and 
Coos Bar Association,! these ma\' be traced in many direc- 
tions, and with profit to the student. Their mention here 
even by titles would be impracticable. 

In the list of titles which follows, and which is an altemi)t 
to formulate a convenient catalogue of the productions 
which narrate the history of New Hampshire organizations 

*'riie colleges represented were Dartmouth 3;, Norwich University 23, Bowiloin 4, 
Union 4, Williams i, Amherst i, other members 17. 

t Among the notable citizen soldiers whose biographies appear in the proceedings of 
this association are Gen. Nelson Cross, Gen. Harris M. Plaisted, Gen. Gilnian Mars 
ton, Gen. Jolin L. Tiiompson, Gen. John Hmiq;!), Col. Thomas y. Whi|)ple, and Major 
Evarts W. Farr. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND THE STATE. 227 

in the Civil War, a classification in the manner already 
indicated in respect to the period of publication and the 
origin of articles or volumes will be readily noted. This is 
intended only as an outline of what has been done in this 
special department of historical research and of what 
remains to be accomplished.* 

*A recent historical essay by Henry L. Dawes, " New England Intiuence in National 
Legislation," constituting chapters 5, 6, 7, S, and 9 of vol. i, Hurd's New England 
States, 1S97, and the article by William F. Whitcher entitled " The Relation of New 
Hampsiiire Men to the Events which Culminated in the War of the Rebellion," consti- 
tuting chapter 2 of Abbott's History of the First Regiment, suggest a reference, at 
least, to a class of literature which, as a subject of description, is beyond the scope of 
this paper. In the war period sons of New Hampshire moved in important spheres of 
national influence. Only a few of the names on that remarkable list need be recalled to 
give point to this observation. In the United States Senate, Henry Wilson, native of 
Farmington, was chairman of the committee on mi'itary affairs ; John P. Hale, native 
of Rochester, chairman of the committee on naval affairs ; William Pitt Fessenden 
native of Boscawen, chairman of the committee on finance and appropriations; James 
W. Grimes, native of Deering, chairman ot the committee on the District of Columbia ; 
Zachariah Chandler, native of Bradford, chairman of the committee on commerce ; and 
Daniel Clark, native of Stratham, chairman of the committee on claims. Salmon P. 
Chase, native of Cornish, was secretary of the treasury and author of the financial 
legislation which produced the sinews of war. Horace Greeley, native of Amherst, was 
the greatest intellectual force in the journalism of that time. Charles A. Dana, native 
of Hinsdale, was assistant secretary of war, and known as the " eyes of the war depart- 
ment." John A. Di.x, native of Boscawen, Benjamin F. Butler, native of Deerfield, 
John G. Foster, native of Whitefield, one of the defenders of Sumter, and Fitz-John 
Porter, native of Portsmouth, whose historic fight for the vindication of his good 
name and soldierly reputation, as admirable in its courage and persistency as it was 
successful in the result, were major-generals. Walter Kittredge, native of Merrimack, 
wrote " Tenting on the Old Camp Ground." Charles Carleton Coffin, native of Bos. 
•cawen,the war correspondent, wrote the histories of the war which are most read by 
the youth of the land. 

The lives of these men, written and unwritten, constitute a part of the history of the 
period of strong agitation. Civil War, and reconstruction so important and extensive 
that it is appreciated only by those who have made the most profound study of the 
events which they influenced. Several of them were distinguished contributors of 
elaborate works devoted to the history of their time. A valuable summary of the 
biographies of New Hampshire men, including those above mentioned, and based upon 
Appleton's Encyclopedia of Biography, is given in the New Hampshire Manual for 
the General Court, 1895, PP- 1-58- 



228 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE KEfilMENT. 

First Regiment. 

1. History of the First Regiment New Hampshire Vol- 
unteer Infantry, by Ira McL. Barton, Adjutant-General's 
Report, 1865, Vol. i, pp. 33-54. 

2. Historical sketch, condensed from foregoing, Adju- 
tant-General's Report, 1866, Vol. 2, pp. 413-420. 

3. Historical sketch, New Hampshire in the Great Re- 
bellion, 1870, pp. 57-86. 

4. Historical sketch by Stephen G[ano] Abbott, regi- 
mental historian, Revised Register of New Hampshire 
Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Rebellion, by A. D. 
Ayling, Adjutant-General, 1895, pp. 1-2. 

5. The F'irst Regiment New Hampshire Volunteers in 
the Great Rebellion : Containing the Stor)- of the Cam- 
paign ; an Account of the " Great Uprising of the People 
of the State," and Other Articles upon Subjects Associated 
with the Early War Period ; Map of the Route of the 
Regiment; Tables; Biographies; Portraits and Illustra- 
tions; by Rev. Stephen G[ano] Abbott, A. M., Chaplain 
of the Regiment; Keene, 1890; 8mo., cloth, pp. 511. 

Miscellaneous . 

(a) Sketches of Mason W. Tappan, Granite Monthly, 
Vol. 10, p. 375 ; History of Merrimack and Belknap 
Counties, 1885, pj). 22—26; Bench and Bar of New Hamp- 
shire, by Charles H. Bell, 1894, p. 679; Twenty Years of 
Congress, by James G. Blaine, 1884, Vol. i, pp. 261-268. 

State Service, Three Months, 1861. 

Historical sketch and individual records of service, by 
Harry Pearl Hammond, Register of New Hampshire Sol- 
diers and Sailors, 1895, PP- 1193-1221. 

New llami)shire in the Great Rebellion, 1870. pp. 49-56. 



regimental histories and the state. 229 

Second Regiment. 

1. Historical sketch b\' J. D. Cooper, Adjutant-General's 
Report, 1865, Vol. i, pp. 149-155. 

2. Historical sketch condensed from regimental history, 
by Martin A. Haynes, with additional data furnished by 
Joab N. Patterson, John W. Adams, and Richard \V. Rob- 
inson, Adjutant-General's Report, 1866, Vol. 2, pp. 421- 
472. 

3. Historical sketch. New Hampshire in the Great Re- 
bellion, 1870, pp. 103-168. 

4. Historical sketch by Martin A. Ha}-nes, regimental 
historian, Revised Register of New Hampshire Soldiers 
and Sailors, 1895, pp 25—27. 

5. (i ) History of the Second Regiment New Hampshire 
Volunteers: Its Camps, Marches, and Battles, by Martin 
A. Haynes, Private of Compan\- I ; Manchester, N. H., 
1865 ; i2mo., pp. 223. 

(2) A History of the Second Regiment, New Hamp- 
shire Volunteer Infantr)' in the War of the Rebellion; by 
Martin A[lonzo] Haynes, Company I; Lakeport, N. H., 
1896; 8mo., cloth, pp. XV, 350, 125. 

Miscellan eons . 

(a) Tributes to the Memory of Gen. Gilman Marston, 
Proceedings of the Grafton and Coos Bar Association, 
Vol. 2, pp. 135-158. 

Biographical sketch, Granite Monthly, Vol. 11, pp. 341- 

347- 

Oration of Hon. Charles H. Bartlett, on Gen. Gilman 
Marston before the Posts of the G. A. R. at Manchester, 
N. H., Memorial Day, May 30, 1891 ; Manchester, N. H., 
1 891 ; 8mo., pamphlet, pp. 22. 

Reminiscences of Gen. Gilman Marston, b\- William H. 
Paine. Granite Monthly, Vol. 14, pp. 331-335. 



230 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

(b) Sketches of Joab N. Patterson, New Hampshire 
Men, 1893, p. 94; Life and Times in Hopkinton, p. 444, 
Register of the Mass. Commandery of the Loyal Legion, 
1 89 1, p. 187. 

(c) Sketch of Edward L. Bailey, Waite's New Hamp- 
shire in the Great Rebellion, 1870, p. 123. 

Third Regiment. 

[Known as the Third New Hampshire Mounted Infantry in March and 
April, 1864.] 

1. Historical material in reports of John H. Jackson, 
Robert Williams, J. L Plympton, Henry S. Dow, and 
James F. Randlett, Adjutant-General's Report, 1865, 
Vol. I, pp. 240-257. 

2. Historical compilation from material furnished by 
John Bedel, R. W. Woodbury, C. A. WHiite, Marquis L. 
Hobbs, E. J. Copp, and John M. Haines, Adjutant-Gen- 
eral's Report, 1866, Vol. 2, pp. 473-507. 

3. Historical sketch, New Hampshire in the Great Re- 
bellion, 1870, pp. 169-214. 

4. Historical sketch by Daniel Eldredge, regimental 
historian. Revised Register of New Hampshire Soldiers 
and Sailors, 1895, PP- 99-IOO. 

5. The Third New Hampshire and All about It, by 
D[aniel] Eldridge, Captain Third New Hampshire Vol. 
Inf.; Boston, Mass., 1893; 8mo., cloth, pp. xxxi, 1054. 

Miscellaneous. 

(a) Gen. John Bedel, by Walter Ilarriman, Granite 
Monthly, Vol. 3, pp. 513-515. 

(b) Historical Sketch of the Third Rt-giment New 
Hampshire Volunteers, by Gen. John l^cdel. Granite 
Monthl}', Vol. 3, pp. 516-534. 

(c) Dedication of the Monument Erected in Memory 
of Gen. John Bedel by His Surx'iving Comrades of the 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND THE STATE. 23 1 

Third Regiment, New Hampshire Vokinteers, at Bath, 
N. H., October 10, 1888; Concord, N. H., n. d. ; 8mo., 
pamphlet, pp. 33. 

(d) The Affair of the Cedars and the Services of CoL 
Timothy Bedel in the War of the Rev^olution (contains an 
account of his descendants. Moody and John Bedel) by 
Edgar Aldrich ; Proceedings of the New Hampshire His- 
torical Society, 1897. 

(e) War Pictures, by John C. Linehan, Granite Monthly, 
Vol. 18, p. 343 ; Vol. 19, pp. 83, 143, 208, 307, 356, 456. 

(f) Sketch of John H. Jackson, Waite's New Hampshire 
in the Great Rebellion, I 870, p. 181. 

Sharpshooters. 

1. Historical sketch of the three New Hampshire com- 
panies of sharpshooters, Adjutant-General's Report, 1865, 
Vol. 2, pp. 744-754. 

2. Historical sketch, by George A. Marden, Adjutant- 
General's Report, 1866, Vol. 2, pp. 933-951. 

3. Historical sketch, New Hampshire in the Great Re- 
bellion, 1870, pp. 567-574. 

4. Historical sketches, by Samuel F. Murray, Revised 
Register of New Hampshire Soldiers and Sailors, 1895, 
pp. 964-966, 972-974. 

5. Berdan's United States Sharpshooters in the Army 
of the Potomac, 1 861-1865, by Capt. C. A. Stevens (His- 
torian) ; St. Paul, Minn., 1892; 8mo., cloth, pp. 2^, 555. 

Mis cell a n cons. 

(a) Sketch of George A. Marden, One of a Thousand, 
1890, p. 395. Register Mass. Commandery of the Loyal 
Legion, 1891, p. 164; One of a Thousand, 395; Massa- 
chusetts of To-day, p. 32 ; Hist. Lowell, 435-6; Rep. Men 
of Massachusetts. 78-80; Nat. Ency. Biog., vol. 2, 284. 



232 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

(b) Edward Thomas Rowcll. Register Mass. Com- 
mandery of the Loyal Legion, 1891, p. 215. Courier- 
Citizen Company, Hist, of Lowell, p. 448. 

First N. E. Cavalry, N. H. Battalion. 

1. No historical sketch in Adjutant-General's Report for 
1865. 

2. Historical sketch of the original battalion in history 
of the First New Hampshire Cavalry, by John L. Thomp- 
son and Walter Perley, Adjutant-General's Report, 1866, 
Vol. 2, pp. 875-909. 

3. Historical sketch. New Hampshire in the Great Re- 
bellion, 1870, pp. 544-548. 

4. Historical sketch, by Ezra B. Parker, Revised Regis- 
ter of New Hampshire Soldiers and Sailors, 1895, pp. 829- 

831. 

5. No separate history of the battalion has been jiub- 
lished under the provisions of the regimental history acts. 

Fourth Regiment. 

1. Historical sketch, mainh' extracts from official re- 
ports, including one by Louis Bell, Adjutant-General's 
Report, 1865, Vol. i, pp. 340-344. 

2. Historical sketch compiled principally from material 
from Francis W. Parker, with additions by Norman Bur- 
dick, from sketch of Colonel Carleton, and information 
by Frederick A.Kendall, Adjutant-General's Report, 1866, 
Vol. 2, pp. 508-535- 

3. Historical sketch. New Hampshire in the Great Re- 
bellicMi, 1870, pp. 215-251. 

4. Historical sketch, by Francis W. Parker, Rex'ised 
Register of New Hampshire Soldiers and Sailors, 1895, 

pp. 153-155- 

5. (1) Roster I-^ourth Regiment New Ham])shire Vol- 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND THE STATE. 233 

unteers, Compiled and Published by Authority of the 
Fourth Regiment Veteran Association, by John G. Hutch- 
inson, First Scrgt., Co. E, Historian; Manchester, N. H., 
1896; i6mo., cloth, pp. 188. 

(2) Roster of Company E, Fourth Regiment New 
Hampshire Volunteers ; n. p. n. d. ; 48mo., pamphlet, 
pp. 8. 

(3) Historical Sketch and Roll of Honor of the Fourth 
Regiment New Hampshire Volunteers, Mustered into Ser- 
vice Sept. 18, 1861 ; Mustered Out Aug. 23, 1865 ; Man- 
chester, N. H., n. d. ; 24mo., pamphlet, pp. 15. 

No separate history of this regiment has been published 
under the provisions of the regimental history act. 

Miscellaneous. 

(a) Thomas J. Whipple, Memorial Address by Hon. 
E. P. Jewell of Laconia, Proceedings of the Grafton and 
Coos Bar Association, Vol. 2, pp. 39—46, and Proceedings 
of the Southern New Hampshire Bar Association, Vol. i, 
pp. 175-180. 

Sketch of Thomas J. Whipple, New Hampshire Men, 
1893, p. 238. 

(b) Memoir of Gen. Louis Bell, Late Colonel of the 
Fourth New Hampshire Regiment, Who Fell at the Assault 
on Fort Fisher, N. C, Jan. 16, 1865, by John Bell Bouton ; 
New York, 1865 ; 8mo., limp cloth, pp. 53. 

Sketches of Louis Bell, Adjutant-General's Report, 1865, 
Vol. 2, p. 794; Appleton's P^ncyclopedia of Biography, 
Vol. I, p. 227. 

First Lk;ht Battery; 

1. Historical sketch, Adjutant-General's Report, 1865, 
Vol. 2, pp. 626-631. 

2. Historical sketch, by 'Frederick M. Edgell, Adjutant- 
General's Report, 1866, Vol. 2, pp. 910-927. 



-^34 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

3. Historical sketch, New Hampshire in the Great Re- 
bellion, 1870, pp. 5 5 5-5 59- 

4. Historical sketch, b}' Samuel S. Piper, Revised Regis- 
ter of New Hampshire Soldiers and Sailors, 1895, PP- 892— 

895. 

5. (i) History of the First New Hampshire Battery 
during the War of the Rebellion, together with the By- 
Laws of Platoon A, First New Hampshire Light Artillery, 
S. M. ; Manchester, N. H., 1878; 24mo., pamphlet, pp. 
20. 

(2) Names and Records of All the Members Who Served 
in the First New Hampshire Battery of Light Artiller}% 
during the Late Rebellion, from Sept. 26, 1861, to June 15, 
1865, When the Battery Was Mustered Out of the Service 
of the United States; Manchester, N. H., 1884; 8mo., 
pamphlet, pp. 15. 

(3) Names and Records of All the Members Who 
Served in the First New Hampshire Battery of Light 
Artillery, during the Late Rebellion, from Sept. 26, 1861, 
to June 15, 1865, When the Battery Was Mustered Out of 
the Service of the United States; Manchester, N. H., 
1 89 1 ; 8mo., pamphlet, pp. 40. 

No separate history of this battery has been published 
under the provisions of the regimental history acts. 

Fifth Regiment. 

1. Historical sketch, first )'ear of service, by Pklward E. 
Cross, with additional record by James F. Larkin, Adjutant- 
General's Report, 1865, Vol. i, pp. 451-462. 

2. Historical sketch, prepared mainly from a sketch by 
Thomas L. Livermore, with data from a sketch b\' \\. H. 
Marston, Adjutant-General's Report, 1866, Vol. 2, pp. 536- 

575- 

3. Historical sketch. New Hahi[)shire in the Great Rebel- 
lion, 1870, pp. 252-296. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND THE STATE. 235 

4. Historical sketch, by William Child, regimental histor- 
ian, Revised Register of New Hampshire Soldiers and Sail- 
ors, 1895, PP- 209-21 I . 

5. A Histor}' of the Fifth Regiment New Hampshire 
Volunteers in the American Civil War, 1 861 -1 865, in two 
parts, by William Child, M. D., major and surgeon. Histor- 
ian of the Veterans' Association of the regiment; Bristol, 
N. H., 1893 ; 8 mo., cloth, pp. XV, i},6, 228. 

AlisccUa n eo us . 

(a) A manuscript journal b}- Col. Edward E. Cross is a 
valuable repository of the early histor}' of this regiment, and 
is in the custod}^ of Mrs. Persis E. Chase, a sister of Col. 
Cross. 

(b) Sketches of Edward E. Cross, Adjutant-General's 
Report, 1865, p. 799; Appleton's Enc}xlopedia of Biogra- 
ph}', Vol. 2, p. 19. 

(c) Sketches of Charles E. Hapgood, History of 
Amherst, by Daniel F. Secomb, 1883, p. 889. Register of 
Commandery, Loyal Legion, 1891, p. 120. 

Sixth Regiment. 

1. Historical sketch, Adjutant-General's Report, 1865, 
Vol. I, pp. 556-560. 

2. Historical sketch b}' Simon G. Griflfin, Adjutant-Gen- 
eral's Report, 1866, Vol. 2, pp. 576-606. 

3. Historical sketch. New Hampshire in the Great Rebel- 
lion, 1870, pp. 297-337. 

4. Historical sketch b}' L\'man Jackman, regimental his- 
torian, Revised Register of New Hampshire Soldiers and 
Sailors, 1895, pp. 283-286. 

5. History of the Sixth New Hampshire Regiment in the 
War for the Union ; Captain Lyman Jackman, historian, 
Amos Hadle}-, Ph. D., editor; Concord, N. H., 1891 ; 8 mo., 
cloth, pp. VI, 630. 



236 SEVEXTEENTH XEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

^[isccUa ncoiis . 

(a) Sketches of Simon G. Griffin, Successful \e\v Hamp- 
shire Men. 1882. p. 58; Granite Monthly, Vol. 5, pp. loi- 
108; New Hampshire Men, 1893, p. 146; Men of Progress, 
1898, pp. 56-59. 

(b) Sketch of Samuel D. Ouarles. History of Carroll 
County, 1889, p. 638. 

(c) Sketches of Xelson Converse, History of Marlbor- 
ough, by Charles A. Bemis, 1881, p. 45 i ; Hurd's History 
of Cheshire and Sullivan Counties, 1886, p. 276. 

(d) Sketch of Phin. P. Bixby, Waite's History of New 
Hampshire in the Great Rebellion, 1870, p. 311. 

Seventh ReCxIMEXT. 

1. Historical sketch, by Joseph C. Abbott, accompanied 
by official reports by Joseph C. Abbott, Thomas A. Hen- 
derson, Augustus W. Rollins, and John Green ( John H. 
Horsfall), Adjutant-General's Report, 1865, Vol. i, pp. 639- 
658. 

2. Historical sketch, compiled principalh" from a paper 
by Joseph C. Abbott, published in the Manchester yl//rrf?r, 
including an account of the assault upon Fort Wagner, by 
Henry G. \\ ebber, information supplied by X. M. Ames, 
and data from diaries of Charles A. Lawrence, Adjutant- 
General's Report, 1866, Vol. 2, pp. 607-626. 

3. Historical sketch. New Hampshire in the Great Rebel- 
lion, 1870, pp. 338-364- 

4. Historical sketch b\' Henr\- F. W. Little, regimental 
historian, Rexised Register of New Hampshire Soldiers and 
Sailors, 1895, pp. 350-354- 

5. The Seventh Regiment New Hampshire \'oluntcers in 
the War of the Rebellion, by Henry F[ranklin] W[allace] 
Little, lieutenant Seventh New Hampshire Volunteers, regi- 
mental historian; Concord, X. H., 1898; 8 mo., cloth, 
pp. XVHI, 567, no, XXL 



REGIMENTAL JI J STORIES AND THE STATE. 237 

Miscellaneous. 

(a) The N. H. Seventh at Fort Wagner, Granite 
Monthly, Vol. 2, p. 208. 

(b) Sketches of Haldiniand S. Putnam, Adjutant-Gen- 
eral's Report, 1865, Vol. 2, p. 815; Ai)i)leton's Encyclo- 
pedia of Biography, Vol. 5, p. 139. 

(c) Sketch of Joseph C. Abbott, Appleton's Encyclo- 
pedia of Biography, V(j1. i, p. 7. 

EKiiiTH Regiment. 

[Known as the First New Hami)shire Cavalry from Dec. 16, 1863, to F"eb. 
29, 1864, and as the Second New Hampshire Cavalry from March i to July 
25, 1864.] 

1. Historical sketch, b\- James II. Marshall, Adjutant- 
General's Report, 1865, Vol. i, pp. 737-747- 

2. Historical sketch, including a history of the Veteran 
Battalion, by James H. Marshall, and cxcerps from a 
scrap-book of letters and other papers of Dana W. King, 
Adjutant-General's Report, 1866, Vol. 2, pp. 627-670. 

3. Historical sketch. New Hampshire in the Great 
Rebellion, 1870, pp. 365-395. 

4. Historical sketch, by John M. Stanyan, regimental 
historian, Revisea Register of New Hampshire Soldiers and 
Sailors. 1895, pp. 403-407. 

5. (i). A history of the I'Lighth Regiment of New 
Hampshire Volunteers, including its Service as Infantry, 
Second N. H. Cavalry, and Veteran Battalion in the Civil 
War of 1 86 1 -1 865, Covering a Period of Three Years, Ten 
Months, and Nineteen Days ; by J(;hn M [inot] Stan\'an, late 
captain of Company B; Concord, N. H., 1892; 8 mo., 
cloth, pp. 583. 

(2) Complete Roster of the Eighth Regiment New 
Hampshire Volunteers; n. p., n. d. ; 8 mo., cloth, pp. 
106. 



238 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

Mi sec Ha n eons. 

(a) Sketch of Hawkes Fearing, Hingham, Mass., in the 
Civil War, p. 284. Ancient and Honorable Artillery Co., 
Vol. 3, p. 272 ; Hingham in the Civil War, 284-286; Hig- 
ginson, Massachusetts in the Arnu' and Navy, Vol. 2, pp. 
212, 462. 

Ninth Regiment. 

1. Historical sketch, by Rev. J. H. Gilmore, Adjutant- 
General's Report, 1865, Vol. 2, pp. 76-78. 

2. Historical sketch, compiled from data by George H. 
Chandler, Oscar D. Robinson, and Frank J. Burnhani, the 
account of the battle of Spotts}'lvania being written by 
Capt. Ro'binson, Adjutant-General's Report, 1866, Vol. 2, 
pp. 671-700. 

3. Historical sketch, New Hampshire in the Great Rebel- 
lion, 1870, pp. 396-420. 

4. Historical sketch, by George L. Wakefield, Revised 
Register of New Hamjjshire Soldiers and Sailors, 1895, pp. 
457-460. 

5. History of the Ninth Regiment New Hampshire 
Volunteers in the War of the Rebellion ; edited by Edward 
0[liver] Lord, A. M.; Concord, N. H., 1895; 8 mo., 
cloth, pp. XII, 761, 171. 

Miscclla 11 cons. 

(a) An unattached company stationed at Portsmouth, in 
F^ort Constitution, Capt. Dax'idson, became a part of the 
regiment in 1862. See sketch of the compan}' in Revised 
Register of New Hampshire Soldiers and Sailors, 1895, pp. 
986-988. 

(b) Sketches of Col. Enoch O. I'ellows, (iranite Monthly, 
Vol. 8, pp. 315-318; History of Carroll County, 1889, pp. 
723-726. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND THE STATE. 239 

(c) Sketches of Herbert B. Titus, Child's Cheshire 
County Gazetteer, 1885, p. 118; History of Chesterfield, 
by Oran E. Randall, 1882, p. 471. 

Tenth Regiment. 

1. No historical sketch of this regiment is given in Adju- 
tant-General's Report, 1865. 

2. Historical sketch, condensed from an elaborate his- 
tory by James A. Sanborn, with additions by Michael T. 
Donahue, Adjutant-General's Report, 1866, Vol. 2, pp. 
701-730. 

3. Historical sketch, New Hampshire in the Great Re- 
bellion, 1870, pp. 421-443. 

4. Historical sketch, b)' James Albert Sanborn, Revised 
Register of New Hampshire Soldiers and Sailors, 1 895, 
pp. 513-516. 

5. No separate history of this regiment has been pub- 
lished under the provisions of the regimental history acts. 

3fiscellaneous . 

(a) Sketch of Michael T. Donahue, One of a Thousand, 
1890, p. 181. Register of Mass. Commander}', p. 82, 
Loyal Legion, 1891 ; Higginson, Massachusetts in the 
Army and Navy, Vol. 2, pp. 177, 521. Boston yourmi/, 
May 27, 1895. 

Eleventh Regiment. 

1. Historical sketch, Adjutant-General's Report, 1865. 
Vol. 2, pp. 201-203. 

2. Historical sketch, condensed from paper published 
in the Manchester yJ//rror, with additions by Walter Harri- 
man and Leander W. Cogswell, and from the diary of W. C. 
Wood, Adjutant- General's Report, 1866, Vol. 2, pp. 731- 
762. 



240 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

3. Historical sketch, New Hampshire in the Great Re- 
belHon, 1870, pp. 444-461. 

4. Historical sketch, by Leander W. Cogswell, regi- 
mental historian, Revised Register of New Hampshire Sol- 
diers and Sailors, 1895, pp. 555-556. 

5. A History of the Eleventh New Hampshire Regiment 
Volunteer Infantry in the Rebellion War, 1 861-1865, Cov- 
ering its Entire Service, with Interesting Scenes of Army 
Life, and Graphic Details of Battles, Skirmishes, Sieges, 
Marches, and Hardships, in Which Its Officers and Men 
Participated; by Leander W[inslow] Cogswell, Company 
D; Concord, N. H., 1891 ; 8mo., cloth, pp. xi, 784. 

Mis c e Ua neons. 

(a) Life of Walter Harriman, with Selections from His 
Speeches and Writings, by Amos Hadlcy ; Boston and 
New York, 1888; 8mo., cloth, pp. 385. 

Resolution of the New Hampshire House of Representa- 
tives relative to Walter Harriman, Journal of the Special 
Session, 1864, pp. 143-15 i. 

Sketches of Walter Harriman, Granite Monthly, Vol. 3, 
pp. 1—5 ; Successful New Hampshire Men, 1882, p. 74. 

(b) Memorial Addresses on the Life and Character of 
Evarts W. Farr, published by order of Congress, Washing- 
ton, D. C, 1881 ; 4mo., cloth, pp. 54. 

(c) Letter of Charles R. Morrison, People ana Patriot, 
March 24, 1892. 

Twelfth Rkc.imknt. 

1. Historical reports, by Thomas E. Barker and others, 
Adjutant-General's Report, 1865, Vol. 2, pp. 263-270. 

2. Historical sketch, compiK-d from a ])aj)er written by 
Andrew M. Heath and read at a regimental reunion Jul}' 4, 
1866, Adjutant-General's Report, 1866, Vol. 2, pp. 763- 
781. 



KEGIMEXTAL HISTORIES AAD THE STATE. 



241 



3. Historical sketch, New Hampsliirc in the Great Rc- 
belHon, 1870, pp. 462-477. 

4. Historical Sketch, by Asa W. Bartlett, regimental his- 
torian, Rexised Register of New Hampshire Soldiers and 
Sailors, 1895, PP- 603-606. 

5. History of the Twelfth Regiment New Hampshire 
Volunteers in the War of the Rebellion, by Captain A. W. 
Bartlett, Historian Twelfth Regiment Association, Concord, 
N. H., 1897; 4mo, cloth, pp. x, 752-87. 

Aliscclla 11 CO its . 

Sketch of Joseph H. Potter, Appleton's Encyclopedia of 
Biograph}', Vol. 5, p. 90. 

Thirteenth Regiment. 

1. Historical sketch, Adjutant-General's Report, 1865, 
Vol. 2, pp. 324-339- 

2. Historical sketch, condensed from histories written by 
Aaron F. Stevens and George A. Bruce, Adjutant-General's 
Report, 1866, Vol. 2, pp. 782-810. 

3. Historical sketch, New Hampshire in the Great 
Rebellion, 1870, pp. 478-495. 

4. Historical sketch, b}' S. Millett Thompson, regimental 
historian. Revised Register of New Hampshire Soldiers and 
Sailors, 1895, pp. 650-655. 

5. Thirteenth Regiment of New Hampshire Volunteer 
Infantr\- in the War of the Rebellion, i 861 — 1865, a Diar}- 
Covering Three Years and a Da}-, by S.* Alillett Thompson, 
lieutenant Thirteenth N. H. Volunteers ; Boston and New 
York, 1888; 8mo., cloth, pp. XT, 717. 

MisccUaiicous. 

(a) Sketch of Aaron F. Ste\-ens, History of Hillsbor- 
ough County, 1885, pp. 37-39. 

*Tliis letter is arbitrarily used, and refers to no name. 
16 



242 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

(b) Nicholay and Hay's Abraliam Lincoln, Vol. 10, p. 
209. 

Fourteenth Regiment. 

1. Historical sketch, by William H. Tha)'cr, Adjutant- 
General's Report, 1865, Vol. 2, pp. 394-408. 

2. Historical sketch, b)' William H. Tha}'cr, Adjutant- 
General's Report, 1866, Vol. 2, pp. 811-834. 

3. Historical sketch. New Hampshire in the Great Rebel- 
lion, 1870, pp. 496-515. 

4. Historical sketch, by Francis H. Buffum, Revised 
Register of New Hampshire Soldiers and Sailors, 1895, pp. 

693-695- 

5. A Memorial of the Great Rebellion : Being a History 

of the Fourteenth Regiment New Hampshire Volunteers, 
Covering Its Three Years of Service, with Original Sketches 
of Army Life, 1862— 1865; Issued by the Committee of 
Publication; Boston, 1882; 8mo, half calf, pp. Xll, 443. 

Mis cell a neons. 

(a) Sheridan's Veterans. A Souvenir of Their Two 
Campaigns in the Shenandoah Valley. The (^ne, of War, 
in 1864. the Other, of Peace, in 1883. Being the Record 
of the ICxcursion to the l^attlefields of the Valle>' of Vir- 
ginia, September 15-24, 1883. By One of the Veterans 
(Francis H. Buffum); Boston, Mass., December, 1883; 
8nio., stiff paper, pp. 128. 

(b) Sketches of Carroll 1). Wright, New Hampshire. 
Men, 1893, p. 95; Appleton's luicyclopedia of Biograph}', 
Vol. 6, p. 621 ; One of a Thousand, 1890, j). 675. 

(c) Sketch of Robert Wilson, New Hampshire in the 
Great Rebellion, 1870, p. 502. 

(d) Sketches of Alexander Ganliner, Ilistor\- of Clarc- 
mont, by Otis F. R. Waite, 1895, p. 429; Adjutant-Gen- 
eral's Report, 1865, Vol. 2, p. 830. 



regimental histories and the state. 243 

Fifteenth Regiment. 

1. Historical sketch, b}' Edward E. Pinkham, Adjutant- 
General's Report, 1865, Vol. 2, pp. 447-464. 

2. Historical sketch, b}' Edward I^. Pinkham, Adjutant- 
General's Report, 1866, Vol. 2, pp. 835-852. 

3. Historical sketch. New Hampshire in the Great Rebel- 
lion, 1870, pp. 516-527. 

4. Historical sketch, b}' Charles McGregor, regimental 
historian, Revised Register of New Hampshire Soldiers and 
Sailors, 1895, PP- 734-736. 

5. No separate history of this regiment has been pub- 
lished under the provisions of the regimental history acts. 

Miscellaii cons . 

(a) Sketches of Henry W. Blair, Successful New Hamp- 
shire Men, 1882, p. 285 ; Granite Monthly, Vol. 6, pp. 
193-198; New Hampshire Men, 1893, p. 67 ; Men of 
Progress, 1898, p. 41. 

(b) Sketch of John \V. Kingman, New Hampshire in 
the Great Rebellion, 1870, p. 579; biography in manu- 
script history of the class of 1843, Harvard College, in 
custody of Thomas B. Hall, 75 State St., Boston. 

Sixteenti I Reg i m ent. 

1. No sketch of this regiment is given in the Adjutant- 
General's Report, 1865. 

2. Historical sketch, by Thomas A. Gilmore, with addi- 
tions from a brief history, by James Pike, Adjutant-Gen- 
eral's Report, 1866, Vol. 2, pp. 853-865. 

3. Historical sketch. New Hampshire in the Great 
Rebellion, 1870, pp. 528-534. 

4. Historical sketch, by Daniel E. Howard, Revised 
Register of New Hampshire Soldiers and Sailors, 1895, 
pp. 762-765 



244 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

5. History of the Sixteenth Regiment New Hampshire 
Vohinteers, by Adjutant Luther Tracy Townsend ; Wash- 
ington, D. C, 1897; 8mo., cloth, pp. 574. 

Miscella n eons. 

(a) The first edition of Townsend's history of this regi- 
ment was pubHshed in the Granite Monthly for 1897. 

(b) A series of war-time letters from this regiment over 
the nom de -pltimc of " Mascoma," was published in the 
Lebanon Free Press, and a copy is preserved in the state 
librar}^ 

(c) A manuscript from James Pike, described as a com- 
plete history of this regiment, was lost at the time of the 
rebuilding of the state house. 

(d) Memoir of James Pike, Minutes of the New Hamp- 
shire Conference (M. I^. church), 1896, p. 171. 

Seventeenth Regiment. 

1. No historical sketch appears in the Adjutant-General's 
Report, 1865. 

2. Historical sketch, Adjutant-General's Report, 1866, 
Vol. 2, pp. 866-868. 

3. Historical sketch. New Hampshire in the Great Rebel- 
lion, 1870, pp. 53 5-537- 

4. Historical sketch, by Henry O. Kent, Revised Regis- 
ter of New Hampshire Soldiers and Sailors, 1895, pp. 791 — 

793- 

5. A histor\- by Charles N. Kent is now in press. 

Mhcellan eons. 

(a) Act of Congress relative to the status of the regi- 
ment, U. S. Statutes at Large, 52d Congress, July 21, 1892, 
Vol. 27, p. 781. 

(b) Sketches of Henry O. Kent, Successful New Hamp- 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND THE STATE. 245 

shire Men, 1882, p. 21 ; Granite Monthl}-, Vol. i, pp. 97- 
102; History of Coos Count}-, 1888, pp. 372-378; New 
Hampshire Men, 1893, p. 332. 

Band, Second Brig.xde, Tenth Corps. 

Historical sketch, by Gustavus W. Ingalls, Revised Reg- 
ister of New Hampshire Soldiers and Sailors, 1895, p. 
1002. 

First New Hampshire Cavalry. 

1. No historical sketch appears in the Adjutant-General's 
Report, 1865. 

2. Historical sketch, b\' John L. Thompson and Walter 
Perley, Adjutant-General's Report, 1866, Vol. 2, pp. 875- 
909. 

3. Historical sketch, New Hampshire in the Great Rebel- 
lion, 1870, pp. 544-554. 

4. Historical sketch, by Ervin H. Smith, Revised Regis- 
ter of New Hampshire Soldiers and Sailors, 1895, PP- ^45- 
851. 

5. No separate history of this regiment has been pub- 
lished under the provisions of the regimental histor\' acts. 

Miscellaneous. 

(a) See Notes on N. H. Battalion in N. E. Cavalr\' (or 
R. \. Cavalry) ante. 

(6) Memorial of John Leverett Thompson of Chicago, 
Illinois; Chicago, 1890; 8 mo., cloth, pp. 98. 

First Regiment of Heavy Artillery. 

1. Historical sketch, by John C. Jenness, Adjutant-Gen- 
eral's Report, 1865, Vol. 2, pp. 720-723. 

2. Historical sketch, by John C. Jenness, Adjutant-Gen- 
eral's Report, 1866, Vol. 2, pj). 928-932. 



246 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REG /ME NT. 

3. Historical sketch, New Hampshire in the Great Rebel- 
hon, 1870, pp. 560-566. 

4. Historical sketch, by Charles H. Long, Revised 
Register of New Hampshire Soldiers and Sailors, 1895, p. 
920. 

5. No separate history of this regiment has been pub- 
lished under the provisions of the regimental history acts. 

MisceUan eons. 

(a) First Compan}' of New Hampshire Heavy Artillery, 
mustered in May and July, 1863, and stationed at Ports- 
mouth and Washington, afterwards made a part of the First 
Regiment of New Hampshire Heavy Artillery, Historical 
Sketch, Revised Register of New Hampshire Soldiers and 
Sailors, 1895, p. 906. 

(b) Second Company of New Hampshire Heavy Artil- 
lery, mustered m September, 1863, and stationed at Kittery 
Point, Me., and Washington, afterwards became a part of 
the First Regiment of New Hampshire Heavy Artillery; 
Historical Sketch, Revised Register of New Hampshire Sol- 
diers and Sailors, 1895, p. 913. 

(c) Sketch of Charles H. Long, History of Claremont, 
by Otis F. R. Waite, 1895, p. 429. 

Strafford Guards, Dover. 

Historical sketch and roll. Revised Register of New 
Hampshire Soldiers and Sailors, 1895, p. 989. 

National Guards, Manciikstfr. 

Historical sketch and roll, Revised Register of New 
Hampshire Soldiers and Sailors, 1895, p. 992. 

LAF-WFTTF ARTII.I.FRV, LVXDFIIOROUC.II. 

Historical sketch and roll, Revised Register of New 
Hampshire Soldiers and Sailors, 1895, p. 998. 



regimental histories and the state. 247 

Martin Guards, Manchester. 

Historical sketch and roll, Revised Register of New 
Hampshire Soldiers and Sailors, 1895, P- 995- 

Eighteenth Regiment. 

1 . No historical sketch appears in the Adjutant-General's 
Report, 1865. 

2. Historical sketch, compiled from contributions by 
Thomas L. Livermore, Joseph M. Clough, and Alvah K. 
Potter, Adjutant-General's Report, 1866, Vol. 2, pp. 869- 

874. 

3. Historical sketch. New Hampshire in the Great Rebel- 
lion, 1870, pp. 538-543- 

4. Historical sketch, by Thomas L. Livermore, Revised 
Register of New Hampshire Soldiers and Sailors, 1895, pp. 
801, 802. 

5. No separate history of this regiment has been pub- 
lished under the provisions of the regimental history acts. 

Aliscellancoiis. 

(a) A Night in the Eighteenth New Hampshire Volun- 
teers, by Frank P. Harriman, Granite Monthly, Vol. 5, pp. 

146, 147- 

(b) Sketch of Thomas L. Livermore, History of Mil- 
ford, by George A. Ramsdell, in press; Register, Massa- 
chusetts Commandcry of the Loyal Legion, 1891, p. 154; 
History of Suffolk County, Mass., Vol. i. p. 569. 



248 seventeenth new hampshire regiment. 
New Hami'siiire Men in Other Lines oe Service 

THAN THE SpECIEIEI) STATE ORGANIZATIONS.* 

Veteran Reserve Corps, Revised Register, p. 1,004. 

U. S. Colored Troops, (officers), " " p. 1, 016. 

U. S. Navy, " " p. 1,096. 

U. S. Marine Corps, " " p. 1,182. 

U. S. Regular Army, " " p. 1,028. 

U. S. Volunteers, " " p. 1,028. 

Organizations of other states, " " p. 1,028. 

The gaps in this series are "not so deep as a well, nor 
as wide as a church door, but .... enough." The 
more important deficiencies observable in the list ma\- be 
enumerated as follows : 

/. TJie FonrtJi Rcginicnl. 

This organization had a distinguished record on the 
Atlantic coast and in the armies operating in Virginia. 
There is a good prospect that an adequate historx- of its 
service will be produced. 

2. The Cavalry. 

The New Hampshire Battalion, First New iMigiand 
Cavalry (sometimes known as the Mrst Rhode Island 
Cavalry), forming the nucleus of the First New Hamp- 
shire Ca\'alr\\ i)articipated in fort\'-three engagements. It 
will be a grave misfortune if this most deser\-ing arm of 
the service is not accorded its memorial in the scries. 

*ln the New Hampshire Manual for the General Court for 189,, a summary is 
given of I he biographies of natives and residents of this state which have place in 
Appleton's Encyclopedia of Biography. The reader is referred to this list, p. 51, for 
an interesting catalogue of names of New Hampshire men who have attained high 
rank in tiie military service of the republic. A biography of Natt Head, for many 
years Adjutant-general, is found in Successful New Hampshire Men, p. 223. The 
war governors, Goodwin, Berry, and Gilmore, are subjects of biograjihy in New Hamp- 
shire in the Great Reoellion, pp. 577, 579, 581. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AXD THE STATE. 249 

The veteran association of the cavah'\' is entitled to all 
encouragement from the public to proceed with the enter- 
prise in behalf of a regimental history of the First Cavalry 
which shall include the record of the New Hampshire con- 
tribution to the First New England and the First Rhode 
Island. 

J. The Light and Heavy Arlillery. 

These organizations have not producetl histories for the 
state series. In conjunction, the}' might form a strong and 
successful association and might produce a work covering, 
in one volume, the history of both the batter}' and the 
regiment. Ihis would give the artiller}' a much merited 
recognition, and its large constituency would command a 
successful patronage. It would go far towards perfecting 
the series in a direction in which it is now lamentabl}- defi- 
cient. 

4. The Tenth Regiment. 

This was a sterling organization with a noble record. 
Good work has been done in the preparation of its history, 
but its veteran association has not yet been successful in 
bringing the undertaking to completion. 

5. The Fifteenth Regiment . 

This regiment has a history- in such an advanced state of 
preparation that the public is assured of its early presenta- 
tion with satisfactor}- completeness in all essential par- 
ticulars. 

6. The Eighteenth Regiment. 

This was a contribution of volunteers which assisted in 
the important campaigns of the last year of the war. Its 
histor}' should by all means be added to the splendid s}'m- 
posium which records the efforts and sacrifices of the 



250 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAM TSUI RE REGIMENT. 

Granite State for the Union. It is a cause of sincere regret 
that this addition to the series has been so long de- 
layed. It is gratif\'ing to note recent measures taken by 
the association which promise a successful effort in this 
direction in the near future. 

7. JVczv Hampshire in the \avy. 

This is a subject that has place in this important scheme 
of war history, and it has been the occasion of special con- 
sideration by the New Hampshire Historical Society. 
With the cooperation of Admiral Belknap, Admiral Wal- 
ker, Commodore Perkins, and other worthy and distin- 
guished New Hampshire veterans of the naval service, it 
is not without the domain of probability that an adequate 
history of New Hampshire's relations to the navy may be 
produced at no distant date. See Report of a Committee 
on Naval History, Proceedings of the New Hampshire 
Historical Society, Vol. 2, p. 284.* 

8. The Medical Branch of the Service. 

This subject is entitled to a separate place in these pro- 
ductions, and the work is in active preparation b}' compe- 
tent collaborators. 

9. The Chaplains. 

These officers are recognized in the legislation of the 
state as a dix'ision of the service entitled to a niche in this 

*Tlie list of distinguished naval officers of New Hanipsliire nativity who are sub- 
jects of biograplij' in Appleton's Encyclopedia of Biography includes the names of 
George E. Belknap, Enoch G. Parrott, George F. Pearson, George W. Storer, John G. 
Walker, Robert H. Wyman, rear-admirals; John M. Browne, surgeon-general; John 
C. Long, James F. Miller, Charles W. Pickering, George A. Prenti>s, William S. 
Walker, commodores; George II. Perkins, Robert T. Spence, James S. Thornton, 
captains; Tunis A. McD. Craven, commander : John Park, surgeon. This work was 
published in 18S7, and several of the officers named have s'nce been advanced in rank. 
Senator William E. Chandler was first solicitor and judge-advocate-general of the navy 
department in iS65,and was afterwards secretary of the navy in President Arthur's 
cabinet. Appleton's Encyclopedia of Biography, Vol. i, p. 574. 



REGIMENTAL HI STORIES AND THE STATE. 2^1 

memorial structure. Adequate organization and energetic 
effort on the part of the chaplains is all that is necessary 
for the production of a volume of biography and history 
that will wisely serve the cause which the chaplains devo- 
tedly and heroically represented, and add chapters to the 
military history of the state, illustrating the operation of 
the influence of religion and humanity in the midst of the 
hardships, dangers, and horrors of war.* 

It will be well for those interested in the preparation of 
the remaining contributions to the series to have in view 
the requirements of the law. These histories must, in 
order to command the approval of the governor and coun- 
cil, upon whose judgment the aid of the state depends, be 
" faithfully, impartially, and accurate!}- prepared, histori- 
cally correct; to contain matter not otherwise conveniently 
accessible, and of sufficient reliability and importance to 
justify this patronage." It must be intended by these pro- 
visions that certain features are indispensable. Among 
these requisites should be an exact and comprehensive 
map of the routes of the regiment through its entire ser- 
vice, descriptions of all its battles and engagements, and 
its other important lines of service ; its relations to other 
parts of the army with which it cooperated ; biographies 
of all officers — distinct, detailed, complete, and authentic ; 
suitable mention of every member whose death in the ser- 
vice, conspicuous merit as a soldier, or other exceptional 
reasons render his individuality deserving of this distinc- 
tion ; all available rolls of membership, and the statistics 
which the best standards for such undertakings prescribe. 

* The First Regiment of New Hampshire Vohmteers in the war with Spain, 1898, is 
about to return from its service without having been afforded an opportunity to test its 
quality at the front of battle. Its history will be written, and may properly be 
accorded the patronage of the state. It is not doubted that, had the coveted post of 
honor been granted to these men, as it was to the New Hampshire-born leader of the 
" Rough Riders" at Santiago, they also would have demonstrated what the traditions 
and tutelage of Stark, Miller, and Cross mean for the military spirit wliich will now 
and hereafter bear aloft the standards of the state and the Union. 



252 SEVKXTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

Abox'C all, paiiistakiiiL; intiusti')- in the collection of mate- 
rial, antl courai;eoiis honest}' in the narratixe of extents, and 
the treatment of every pertinent topic are the essentials to 
the x'aliie and success of any one of these volumes as a 
constituent part of the history of the Ci\il War. There 
are man)' niotlels of excellence in this class of publications, 
but none more worthy of adoption b}' those who have to 
tlo with similar undertaking's than several of the New 
1 lanipshire series. 

The text of the successi\'e acts of the lec]^islature on this 
subject will be a[)i)ende(.l to this article. 

They are based upon the idea of a practical encouraij;e- 
nicnt of literature, education, and patriotism, a working;" 
principle made prominent b_\- the fathers in the constitu- 
tii>n and approved by the people in the whole jieriod of 
the L;o\ernmental histi)r\- of the state. The theor\' of the 
legislati\e aid thus bestowed is to help those who help 
themseKes. I'luler its operation, the veteran associations 
which i)romi)tly assume the responsibilit)' of placini' their 
recortls in a printetl form which ci)mplies with the statutes 
will be certain of the patrc:)nage of the state. This, how- 
t'\er, does not make such undertakint^s sources of profit to 
the moxers, l)ut it does obx'iate the necessity of an\' con- 
sider.U)K' financial loss. The state is a patron of these 
publications to the extent of about four hundred copies of 
each for distribution amiMii;- the cities, towns, libraries, 
throuL;h exchanges, and for oflicial reference. The state 
has f.n'rly met the reasonable recpiests of the \eterans in 
this behalf. it (Uily remains {ox the orijjanizations still 
deliiuiuent to briuL; this beneficent and far-reachini]^ under- 
taking' to a successful comi)letion by prompt and faithful 
conformit\- to the requirements of the acts, and b)' seizin^;' 
the opportunit)" temlered b_\' the wisdom of the peoj^le. 

The immetliate utilit)- of these works in the curriculum 
of histc^rical stuih' for the schools t>f the state is manifest. 



REGIMENTAL H/S7VA'/ES AXf) THE STATE. 253 

P2vcry town has one or two sets a\-ailablc for the purpose. 
\Sy the topical method of iiuesti^ation the pupils can be 
directed to search the t;eneral course of our niilitar\' history, 
and need not be left uninformed as to what is the record of 
their own state in this remarkable perioil. These books 
record the fact that Ladd, the first man who fell in the Sixth 
Massachusetts in Baltimore, was a son of New Hampshire; 
that the Fifth regiment lost more men in battle than any 
other infantr\- reL;iment in thel'iiion arm\- ; that the Se\'enth 
lost more officers in a sin<;le en<^aL;ement ( h\)rt Wagner) 
than an\^ other infantry regiment in the Union army; that 
the men of the Twelfth and Thirteenth regiments were the 
first organizxxl bodies to enter Richmond ; that the percent- 
age of loss by the Twelfth was greater than that of the I^'ifth ; 
that the losses of the Ninth and Sixteenth from exposure 
and other causes place the debt due to them for tle\-<)tion 
and sacrifice among the first in the fatefid catalogue; that 
the other regiments exhibit records of singular distinction 
according to their ojDportunities in the service ; and they 
prove that, relating to e\'er\' one of these organizations, 
there is most valuable historical material which renders 
their publications indisi^cnsablc to any measurably com- 
plete collection of Americana. 

Indeed, so abundant is the information available to the 
student of this series of histories, so great is its value, and 
so striking is the lesson of good citizenship and patriotism 
it teaches, that indifference to it is disci'cditablc to the s)'s- 
tem under which our youth are passing from the jieriod of 
scholastic instruction to the active duties and responsibil- 
ities of prix'ate business or [)ublic service. 

It is not an unimportant consideration that the historians 
of these events were the actors in them. Every passage in 
the narratives is a statement of fact under the light and 
guidance of actual experience but with a modest and cau- 
tious reserx'e which excludes that oxer-colorinsj; of imat>ina- 



254 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

tion and exaggeration that often mars the pages of his- 
tory. 

"A wonderful man was this Ceesar, 

*********** 

Who could both write and fight, and in both was equally skilful."' 

General Head pointedly states the facts as to the insuffi- 
ciency of the ptiblished rolls of 1865, and explains the 
reasons for the deficits which are admitted. In a new 
series of rolls in vokmie I of the report of 1866, many cor- 
rections are made, but still large blocks of names which 
had been given in the rolls of 1865 are designedly omitted 
or extensively abridged in the revision of the following 
year. These three volumes, however, remained the only 
authority conveniently accessible to the general public rela- 
ting to this subject and this period until 1895. The}' con- 
tain many original documents and reports relative to mili- 
tary affairs in the war period. Other contemporary public 
documents are of value for reference in relation to this 
subject. The messages of the war governors, the legisla- 
tive journals and acts, the reports of auditors, treasurers, 
and other state officials are never-failing sources of infor- 
mation for the historians of New Hampshire.* 

Not only were the lists contained in the reports of 1865 
and 1866 deficient in details and incorrect in respect to 
personnel, but several branches of the service in which 
New Hampshire was represented were entirely overlooked. 
In this category were the contributions both to the na\-al 
service proper and to the marines, to the regular arm\', the 
assignments to the regiments of colored troops, the Dart- 

* See also Waite's New Ilampshire in llie Great Rebellion, 1S70, and Sketches of 
the Life and Public Services of Frederick Smyth, by Ben. Perley Poore and F. B. 
Eaton, 18S5. Governor Smyth, as councillor and otherwise, had much to do with the 
affairs of the state in the war period, though he was not, as is often erroneously stated, 
a war governor. Chapter XIX, McClintock's History of New Hampshire, 1S89, pp. 
611-630, is a summary of the history of tl\e state in its relations with the Civil War. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AXD THE STATE. 255 

mouth Ca\'aliers, and other organizations and special 
departments of service. 

The " Revnsed Register of New Hampshire Soldiers and 
Sailors in the War of the Rebellion," compiled by Adjutant- 
General Augustus D. A\'ling and published in 1895, 's 
complete, reliable, and comprehensive in all the features 
that are looked for in works of this nature.* 

A degree of perfection has actual!}' been attained in this 
compilation which places it in the first rank in the litera- 
ture of statistical history. The work was prosecuted and 
perfected on the plan outlined in the report of a committee 
of the governor and council f adopted in 1889. 

The original bill, introduced in the House in 1885 by 
Representative Musgrove of Bristol, passing to the senate, 
was referred to the committee on military affairs, of which 
Senator Kent was a member, and, with his cooperation, it 
speedily passed to enactment. 

A representation from this state was urged upon Con- 
gress in 1888 in favor of such amendment of the bill pro- 
viding for the eleventh census as should make it effectually 
inclusive of all the surviving veterans and widows of veter- 
ans of the Civil War. This was earnestly seconded by 
prominent New Hampshire veterans and our state delega- 
tion in Congress. The words in italics in the following 

* The first mention of the office of Adjutant-General is in the Revolutionary period. 
'J'lielist of incumbents to March 25, 1S64, is given in Adjutant-General's Report, 1S68, 
p. 3S1. Gen. Natt Head then came to the office by appointment of Governor Gil- 
more. General Head continued at the head of this department until July n 1870. 
Between that date and 1S7C) the incumbents were as follows : 
John M. Haines, appointed July 11, 1S70. 
Andrew J. Edgerly, appointed Aug. 14, 1874. 
Ira Cross, appointed March 2, 1S76. 
General Ayling was ci mmissioned July 15, 1879, and has continued in the office to 
the present time. New Hampshire Men, 1893, p. 7 ; Register, Mass. Commandery of 
the Loyal Legion, 1891, p. 28. 

t Report of the Executive Council on Revision of Record of New Hampshire Sol- 
diers and Sailors in the War of tlie Rebellion, 1889, by A. S. Batchellor and John C. 
Linehan, pamphlet; same in Adjutant-General's Report, 18S9, pp. 46-64. 



256 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE R EG EM EN T. 

quotation from section 17 of the bill indicate what was 
accomplished: 

" Provided, however, that said superintendent shall, under the 
authority of the Secretary of the Interior, cause to be taken on a 
special schedule of enquiry, according to such form as he may pre- 
scribe, the names, organizations, and lengtli of service of those who 
had served in the army, navy, or marine corps of the United States in 
the War of the Rebellion, and who are survivors at the time of said 
inquiry, and the widows of soldiers, sailors, or marines." 

This information is now in the i^overnment archives, and, 
if published, would undoubtedh' locate and identif}- a mul- 
titude of veterans whose records are still incomplete. It 
was expected that this comprehensive collection of data 
would be available to the compiler of the Revised Register, 
but the P'ederal gox-ernment failed to publish that part of 
the census information. 

General Ayling added important original historical 
sketches of the several organizations sent into serx'ice b\' 
the state. These were contributed by regimental histori- 
ans or others qualified by special opportunities for accu- 
rate information on the subject. Carcfullx^ compiled tables 
of the numerical strength of each regiment or lesser forma- 
tion, with losses for various causes, are a feature of the 
work. The works of ^Ir. Phisterer on the " Statistical 
Records of the Armies of the United States," and of Mr. 
Fo.\ on " Regimental Losses in the American Ci\il War," 
are convenient supplements for use with General Axling's 
production. The important substratum of this work, 
however, is the personal histor\' it gix'es of e\'er\' New 
Hampshire man enrolled, a total of more than thirt}' thou- 
sand names. In each instance it is simple, terse, and 
authentic. All that painstaking research can do to clear 
these individual records from doubt and uncertaint_\- and to 
accord an endurinsj memorial to e\er\- soldier of the state, 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND THE STATE. 257 

characterizes this " New Hampshire Register of Soldiers 
and Sailors in the War of the Rebellion." 

The theory of the history of the several aggregations of 
these men in ship, regiment, troop, and battery is to indi- 
vidualize the New Hampshire organizations as distinct 
components of the great Northern army of 1861 to 1865, 
and to supplement the record of the individual volunteer by 
the more comprehensive narrative, which has place in the 
regimental history series. By this monumental literature 
heroic names and heroic deeds are commemorated, and 
the lessons and examples of the highest patriotism passed 
on through the coming ages of American progress. 

Legislation in Aid of Regimental Hlstories. 

(Laws of 1887, Chapter 145.) 

JOINT resolution in relation to the purchase ot the histories 
of mlHtary organizations of tiie state in the late war. 

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives in Genera 
Court convened : 

The secretary of state is authorized to purchase copies of the history 
of each regiment of New Hampshire Volunteers which served in the 
War of the Rebellion, to be distributed as follows : Five copies for 
the use of the state library, five for the use of the New Hampshire His- 
torical Society, one for the library of Dartmouth College, one for the 
office of secretary of state, one for the office of the adjutant-gen- 
eral, and one for each town and city in the state ; provided, that the 
maximum price to be paid for each volume for a regiment of three years' 
service shall in no case, except as in special cases hereinafter provided, 
exceed two dollars and fifty cents, which price is authorized for volumes 
containing as much printed matter and as substantially bound as the 
cloth editions of the history of the Fourteenth New Hampshire Volun- 
teers, recently published, and in case the volumes to be purchased under 
authority of this resolution shall contain less matter than said Fourteenth 
regiment history, a corresponding reduction from said maximum price 
shall be required, and no such histories shall be purchased unless the 
same shall have been prepared by authority of the proper regimental 
17 



258 SEVENTEEXTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

association, siiall have been found by the governor and council to be, 
as far as practicable in such works, faithfully, impartially, and accurately 
prepared, historically correct, to contain matter not otherwise conven- 
iently accessible, and of sufficient reliability and importance to justify 
this patronage ; provided, that in case the history of the regiment of 
the three years' term or longer as actually published, cannot be obtained 
at the prices aforesaid on account of historical matter necessarily con- 
tained therein, the governor and council may authorize the secretary of 
state to purchase the same for the purposes aforesaid at such prices as 
they may deem just between the parties. 
(Approved October 21, 1887.) 



(Laws of 1889, Chapter 128.) 

JOINT RESOLUTION relating to histories of New Hampshire 
organizations in the War of the Rebellion. 

Resolved by t/ie Se/tate and House of Representatives in General 
Court convened : 

Section i. The provisions of the joint resolution in relation to the 
purchase of the histories of military organizations of this state in the 
ate war, approved October 21, 1887, shall also include and be appli- 
cable to like works relating to or prepared for the First Light Battery, 
the Sharpshooters, the Naval Contingent from this state, and the repre- 
sentation from this state in the regular army; provided, that the history 
of each of these several divisions of the New Hampshire men serving 
in the War of the Rebellion shall not require more than one volume. 

Sect. 2. The secretary of state is authorized to procure in accordance 
with the provisions of said joint resolution of 1887, and in addition to 
the number therein mentioned, fifty copies of each of said histories, to 
be placed in the state libraries of other states, and in the libraries of 
the principal cities of other states, or exchanged for similar works, in 
order that records of the part taken in the War of the Rebellion by 
New Hampshire organizations may be equally accessible with other 
similar works at the capitals of the country. 

(Approved August 16, 1889.) 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND THE STATE. 259 

(Laws ok 1891, Chapter 14.) 

AN ACT in aid of the public liliraries of this state. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General 
Court convened : 

Section i. The secretary of state shall procure and furnish to each 
public library in this state, and the Soldiers' Home, one copy of each 
history of New Hampshire organizations in the War of the Rebellion 
which is not out of print, and has been or may be hereafter published 
in accordance with the provisions of existing laws. 

Sect. 2. This act shall be in aid of only such libraries as are reg- 
ularly open for the use of the public in the towns and cities where they 
may be located, and which are duly designated as public libraries enti- 
tled to receive state publications by the governor and council, in 
accordance with existing laws on the first day of February next follow- 
ing the publication of such history. 

Sect. 3. This act shall take effect upon its passage. 

(Approved March 12, 1891.) 



(Laws of 1885, Chapter 120.) 

JOINT RESOLUTION in relation to the duties of the adjutant- 
general. Two hundred dollars conditionally appropriated for making 
abstracts of military records. 

Resolved by tlie Senate and House of Representatives in General 
Court convened : 

That the adjutant-general is hereby authorized to jprepare abstracts 
from the records of his office for the use of any persons actually engaged 
in the preparation of histories of regiments or other military organiza- 
tions, or the military history of towns in this state; and for such 
clerical assistance as may be necessary to enable him to perform said 
duties, he shall be paid out of any money in the treasury not otherwise 
appropriated, upon due warrant of the governor; provided, that such 
abstracts shall not be required under this resolution unless the prepara- 
tion of such histories shall have been authorized by vote of the town or 
city or veteran association to which it particularly relates ; and further 
provided, that the expense for clerk hire shall in no case exceed two 
hundred dollars in any one year. 

(Approved August 13, 1885.) 



26o SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

(Chapter 120, Laws of 1891.) 

JOINT RESOLUTION relating to the collection of pictures and 
portraits illustrative of the part taken by this state in the War of the 
Rebellion. 

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representath>es in General 
Court convened: 

That the sum of one hundred dollars is hereby annually appropriated 
to be expended by the adjutant-general, under the direction of the gov- 
ernor and council, to procure photographs and other illustrations of the 
part taken by this state in the War of the Rebellion, to be preserved 
and exhibited in the state house. 

(Approved April 11, 1891.) 



(Chapter 45, Laws of 1895.) 

AN ACT in amendment of chapter 14 of the Laws of 1891, relat- 
ing to free public libraries. 

Be it enacted by tJie Senate and House of Representath'es in Gen- 
eral Court convened: 

Section i . The authority given the governor and council and sec- 
retary of state with reference to furnishing regimental histories to free 
public libraries and other recipients designated by law, shall include the 
histories of the New Hampshire contingent in the organization of 
sharpshooters, the New Hampshire batteries, the organization desig- 
nated as the Seventeenth Regiment of Infantry, the service of the New 
Hampshire men in the medical department, and the services of those 
commissioned and acting as chaplains in the War of the Rebellion ; 
provided, the regular veteran association of those organizations or 
classes in the service shall approve of the works as published, and com- 
pliance shall be made with all other provisions of law relating to such 
publications. 

Sect. 2. All acts and jjarts of acts inconsistent with the provisions 
of this act are hereby repealed, and this act shall take effect upon its 
passage. 

(Approved March 19, 1895.) 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 

Elder John G. Hook. 

(Contributed.) 

Elder John G. Hook and his good wife had what they 
were wont to term a " victualHng place " on the bluff near 
Camp Ethan Colby, and supplied the members of the Sev- 
enteenth Regiment with pies, cakes, and delicacies which 
were not included in the arm}' rations. They also minis- 
tered tenderly to the sick in the camp, and interested 
themselves in many ways in the welfare of the soldier boys. 
The house which was then their headquarters is standing, 
and is much the same as when it sheltered them in the 
days when the men of the Sex^enteenth were near neigh- 
bors and frequent visitors, but the Hook residence for 
many years has been in another portion of the cit\'. Mrs. 
Hook has gone to her reward, but the venerable elder is 
still able to carry on the work in which he has been 
engaged fifty-six years, — preaching the religion of Jesus 
Christ as he understands it, after his own fashion,' giving 
comfort to the sorrowing, and pointing out to those who 
might grope darkly to the end but for his simple, earnest 
pleading, a way to a better life. 

Fift}'-six years a preacher without parish or salary ! 
Such is the unique record of one of the most unique figures 
in the religious work of his day and generation. To an 
inquiry as to how he had been able to support himself and 
his family these many years, when his service had been so 
largely one of unrecompensed endeavor, the elder made 
answer: "I have earned ww Xw'wvz with \w\ hands, while I 



262 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 



r-^. 



was doing my Master's biddinL,r." Those familiar with the 
home hfe of Mr. and Mrs. Hook know that not only has 
their store been equal to their own necessities, but that 
there has alwax's been enough and to spare for those less 
fortunate than themselves. No brighter chapter in the life 

of Elder Hook could be 
written than the one which 
should enumerate his acts 
of charity and generos- 
ity, unobtrusiv^e and unre- 
mitting. The Hon. Henry 
Robinson wrote of Elder 
Hook in a newspaper arti- 
cle a few }'ears since : "Of 
his life here in our own 
city of Concord, where he 
has resided for forty years, 
it may be said safely that 
no resident has been more 
generous with his hospi- 
talit}\ and more open- 
hearted in his sympathies. 
He and his lovely wife 
kept open house, and no- 
body, black or white, drunk or sober, rich or poor, high 
or low, was ever turned away from Elder John's door. 
The ragged have been clothed, the hungry fed, and he has 
visited the sick and the imprisoned." 

But fift\'-si.\ \-ears a preacher without parish or salary 
by no means implies that congregations have been want- 
ing. Indeed, it has been the privilege of few of Elder 
Hook's contemjioraries to proclaim the gos])el in more 
widely separated sections, among more diversified sur- 
roundings, or under more interesting conditions. Two 
hundred thousand miles is probabh' not an exaggeration 




Elder John G. Hook. 



ELDER JOHN G HOOK. 263 

of the distance he has traveled in the prosecution of his 
work as an independent evangehst of the Second Advent 
faith, and the number of converts who have received the 
rites of baptism at his hands exceeds three thousand. He 
has hibored in many sections of his own country, and also 
in other lands. Nova Scotia has been visited at nine dif- 
ferent times, great success attending his meetings there, 
while one of the most remarkable chapters of his life's 
work covers his visit to the Sandwich Islands, where he 
spoke to thousands, and made many converts. A remark- 
able record was made in San Francisco, where he held 
meetings for eighty consecutive days, preaching three 
times each day. The Chronicle of that city, speaking of 
these meetings, in connection with a great Moody and 
Sankey revival which followed them, said : " Elder Hook 
is to Mood}^ and Sankey what John the Baptist was to 
Jesus Christ. He has prepared the way for them." It 
has been said of Elder Hook, and without exaggeration, 
that he has baptized in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, in 
nearly all the rivers of New England, in hundreds of small 
streams, and in the East river, New York, when both the 
tide and ice were running high. 

Elder Hook was born in 1820; he was converted to the 
Second Advent faith in 1839, and began to preach in 
1842. The fiftieth anniversary of his first sermon was 
celebrated by preaching three times in the school-house 
where he first delivered the Word. On the same anni- 
versary day he dined in the house in which he was born. 
Although well along in the second half century of his 
work as an evangelist, his zeal has not lessened or his 
power diminished. Generous almost to a fault, and think- 
ing least of all of the material results of his labors as a 
preacher, Elder Hook has withal been prospered. The 
section of the city of Concord in which he has for many 
years made his home and held largely of real estate, has 



264 SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 

lately become one of the most attractive residence portions 
of the city, and no one begrudges the good elder the com- 
petence which the boom in "West End" land has brought 
him. The companion of many years no longer sustains 
him with helpful sympathy and gentle offices, but her good 
qualities are preserved in the persons of children and grand- 
children, whose constant care is that the aged elder shall 
want for nothing that loving hearts can suggest or willing 
hands supply. 



APPENDIX. 



ROSTER 

Of the Seventeenth New Hampshire Infantry, 
Including Only Men in Camp During Winter of 
1862-63, AND NOT Including the nearly Seven 
Hundred from the Third District Transferred 
TO THE Fifteenth and Sixteenth Infantry. 

OFFICERS.— FIELD AND STAFF. 

Colonel. — Henry O. Kent. 

Lieutenant-Colonel. — Charles H. Long. 

Major. — George H. Bellows. 

Adjutant. — George A. Wainwright. 

Quartermaster. — Edward N. Cummings. 

Acting Commissar}'. — Ira S. M. Gove. 

Surgeon. — James A. Folsom. 

Assistant Surgeons. — Luther C. Bean, Horatio N. Small. 

Chaplain. — George S. Barnes. 

Captains. 

Jared I. Williams, Company A. 
Isaac F. Jenness, Compan)' B. 
Calvin S. Brown, Company C. 

First Lieutenants. 

James S. Brackett, Company A. 
Frank D. Webster, Company B. 
Charles N. Kent, Company C. 

Second Lieutenants. 

Joseph Chase, Compan\- A. 
Ammi Farr, Compan}- B. 
Josiah Bellows, Compan}' C. 



268 APPENDIX. 

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS. 
James W. Perkins, Sergeant Major. 
John P. Denison, Commissary Sergeant. 
John C. Jenness, Quartermaster Sergeant. 
Albro L. Robinson, Hospital Steward. 
Albert F. Whipple, Principal Musician. 

Sergeants. — Company A. 
Charles E. King, First Sergeant. 
Walter S. Bailey. William B. Ingalls. 

Ezra B. Bennett. Charles A. Larkin. 

Charles H. Brown. William L. Rowell. 

Sergeants. — Company B. 
Clarence S. Gray, First Sergeant. 
Charles A. Grant. Christopher W. Harrold. 

George H. Ham. Samuel P. Holt. 

Sergeants. — Company C. 
John G. Derby, First Sergeant. 
Hale Chadwick. 

Corporals. — Company A. 

George Blood. Robert King. 

William J. Chamberlain. Thomas P. Moody. 

Simpson E. Chase. Sidney H. Pcaslee. 

William A. Dow. Frank Rafferty, Jr. 

George H. Emerson. Oliver P. Smith. 

Hezekiah V.. Hancock. Elery Wheeler. 

Corporals. — Company B. 

Joseph W. Ackerman. Perry C. Moore. 

Joseph W. Brickett. Henry P. Morse. 

Joseph Fuller. Eouis H. Rand. 

John F. Gallagher. Charles W^ Stevens. 

Joseph O. Ham. Charles H. Stuart. 
Alvin Hariman. 



COMPLETE LIST 



Of Officers and Men, compiled from Adjutant- 
General Ayling's Register and Regimental Ros- 
ter, 1895. 

ABBREVIATIONS USED. 



Adjt., Adjutant. 

A. Q. M., Assistant Quartermaster. 

Asst., Assistant. 

Batt'l, Battalion. 

Captd, Captured. 

Co., Company. 

Com., Commissary, Commission. 

Corp., Corporal. 

C. S., Commissary of Subsistence. 

Des., Deserted. 

Disab., Disabled. 

Enl., Enlisted. 

Gd. from mis., Gained from missing. 

Hosp., Hospital. 

L., Light. 

Maj., Major. 

M o. r., Muster out roll. 

Must., Muster, mustered. 



Non.-com., Non-commissioned. 

P. o. a. d., Post-office address last known 

Priv., Private. 

Q. M., Quartermaster. 

Regt., Regiment. 

Sergt., Sergeant. 

Surg., Surgeon. 

Tr., Transferred. 

Unas'd, Unassigned. 

V. R. C, Veteran Reserve Corps. 

Wds., Wounds. 



App., Appointed. 

Art., Artillery. 

B. (b.). Born. 

Capt., Captain. 

Cav., Cavalry. 

Col., Colonel. 

Com'd, Commissioned. 

Cred., Credited to. 

Dept., Department. 

Dis., Disease. 

Disch , Discharged. 

F. and S., Field and Staff. 

H., Heavy. 

Inf., Infantry. 

l^t.. Lieutenant. 

Mis., Missing. 

Muse, Musician. 

N. f. r. A. O. G., No further record, 
Adjutant General's office, Wash- 
ington, D. C. 

Par., Paroled. 

. Prin., Princi])al. 

Prom., Promoted. 

Re-enl., Re-enlisted. 

Res., Residence. 

Sev., Severely. 

Tm. ex., Term expired. 

U. S. A., United States Army. 

v.. Volunteers. 

Wd., Wounded. 



ACKERMAN, Joseph W. Co. B ; b. Portsmouth ; age 20 ; 
res. Portsmouth; cred. Portsmouth; enl. Oct. 4, '62 ; 
must, in Nov. 13, '62, as Corp.; reported on roll dated 
Apr. 16, '6^, as transferred on that date to 2 N. H. V. ; 
never joined 2 Regt. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

Albert, Carl. Co. C; b. Germany; age 22; res. Wind- 
ham ; cred. Windham ; enl. Dec. 23, '62; must, in Dec. 
26, '62, as Priv. , des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 



270 APPENDIX. 

Ard, George. Co. A; b. Portsmouth; age 21 ; res. Sea- 
brook, cred. Seabrook ; enl. Nov. 25, '62; must, in 
Nov. 25, '62, as Priv. ; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

Armel, William. Co. A; b. Canada; age 24; res. 
Strafford, cred. Strafford ; enl. Nov. 20, '62 ; must, in 
Nov. 22, '62, as Priv.; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

BaCHELDER, George F. Co. C; b. Concord; age 18; 
cred. Windham; enl. Nov. 28, '62; must, in Dec. 26, 
'62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. I, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '63; 
must, out Oct. 9, '(Si. Supposed identical with George 
F. Batchelder, Co. G, 18 N. H. V. 

Bailey, Walter S. Co. A ; b. Massena, N. Y. ; age 22 ; 
res. Lancaster, cred. Lancaster; enl. Oct. 21, '62; must, 
in Nov. 22, '62, as Priv.; app. Sergt. ; must, out Apr. 
16, '63. P. O. ad., Lancaster. See i Co., N. H. H. Art. 

Barnes, George S. F. and S. ; b. Charlotte, Vt. ; age 
32; res. Seabrook; app. Chaplain Nov. 4, '62; not 
must.; paid by state of New Hampshire from Nov. 18, 
'62, to Apr. 16, '63 ; disch. from state service Apr. 16, 
'61. P. O. ad., Petoskey, Mich. See 2 N. H. V. and 
U. S. C. T. 

Barton, James. Co. A; b. Montpelier, Vt. ; age 28; 
res. Seabrook; cred. Seabrook; enl. Nov. 25, '62; must, 
in Nov. 25, '62, as Priv.; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

Bellows, Josiah. Co. C; b. Concord; age 19; res. 
Concord ; app. 2d Sergt., Co. C ; not must. N. f. r. 
A. G. O. 

Bates, Sydney T. Co. C; b. Essex, Vt. ; age 30; res. 

Pelham, cred. Pelham ; enl. Dec. 10, '<S2\ must, in Dec. 

18, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. A, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '6z\ 

must, out Oct. 9, '63. See 5 Inf. and i H. Art., N. H. V. 

Bean, Daniel C. Co. C; b. Berlin; age "24"; res. 
Wakefield, cred. Berlin ; enl. Nov. 8, '62 ; must, in Dec. 
18, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. A, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '63 ; 
must, out Oct. 9, '61. P. O. ad., Berlin. See I N. H. 
H. Art. 

Bean, Frank. Co. B; b. Rockland, Me.; age 28; res. 
Strafford, cred. Strafford; enl. Dec. 4, '62; must, in 
Dec. I I, '62. as Priv. ; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 



APPENDIX. 271 

Bean, Luther C. F. and S. ; b. Sanbornton; age 41; 
res. Lebanon, cred. Strafford; app. Asst. Surg., Nov. 4, 
'62 ; must, in Nov. 20, '62 ; must, out Apr. 16, '63. 
P. O. ad., Waukegan, 111. 

Bedell, Austln. Co. A.; b. Jefferson; age 18; res. Jef- 
ferson, cred. Jefferson ; enl. Sept. 20, '62 ; must, in Nov. 

22, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. F, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '63 ; 
must, out Oct. 9, '6}f. See 9 N. H. V. 

Bell, John. Co. B. ; b. Newburyport, Mass. ; age 29 ; 

res. Greenland, cred. Greenland; enl. Sept. 16, '62; 

must, in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; reported on roll dated 

Apr. 10, '63, as present. N. f. r. A. G. O. 
Bellows, George H. F. and S. ; b. Walpole; age 28; 

res Walpole, cred. Walpole; app. Maj., Oct. 23, '62; 

not must. ; paid by state of New Hampshire from Oct. 

23, '62, to Mar. 18, '6"^ ; appointment revoked Mar. 18, 
'^l. P. O. ad.. New York city. 

Bennett, Ezra B. Co. A.; b. Newbury, Vt. ; age 27; 
res. Lancaster, cred. Lancaster; enl. Oct. 18, '62; must. 
in Nov. 22, '62, as Sergt. ; must, out Apr. 16, '6}^. 
P. O. ad., St. Johnsbury, Vt. 

BiNNEV, Walter. Co. C. ; b. New Haven, Conn. ; age 
23 ; res. North Hampton, cred. North Hampton ; enl. 
Dec. 18, '62; must, in Dec. 18, '62, as Priv.; tr. to 
Co. I, 2 N. H. v., Apr. 16, '6^ ; des. June 25, '63, Ed- 
ward's Ferry, Md. 

Blake, Wn.LL\M. Co. B ; b. Kittery Point, Me. ; age 24; 
res. North Hampton, cred. North Hampton; enl. Oct. 3, 
'62; must, in Nov. 18, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. K, 2 
N. H. v., Apr., 16, '61 ; disch. to date Oct. 9, 'G^. 

Blakely, Robert. Co. A; b. Columbia; age 22; res. 
Columbia, cred. Columbia; enl. Sept. 15, '62; must, in 
Nov. 22, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. F., 2 N. H. V., Apr. 
16, '63 ; must, out Oct. 9, '63. P. O. ad., Colebrook. 
See I N. H. H. Art. 

Blood, George. Co. A; b. Whitefield ; age 33; res. 
Whitefield, cred. Whitefield; enl. Sept. 13, '62; must, 
in Nov. 22, '62, as Corp. ; must, out Apr. 16, '61. P. O. 
ad., Lowell, Mass. 



272 APPENDIX. 

BOUWELL, GkoRGE. Co. A; b. Concord; age 22; res. 
Concord; enl. Nov. 18, '62; must, in Nov. 24, '62, as 
Priv. ; tr. to Co. B, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '63 ; des. May 
25, '63, Concord; returned Axig. ii, '^l\ must, out 
Oct. 9, '61. 

Brackett, James S. Co. A; b. Lancaster; age 34; res. 
Lancaster; enl. Nov. 19, '62, as Priv.; app. i Lt., Jan. 
6, '63 ; must, in to date Nov. 22, '62, as i Lt. ; must, 
out Apr. 16, '63. P. O. ad., Lancaster. 

Brickett, Joseph W. Co. B; b. Newburyport, Mass.; 
age 29; res. Rye, creel. Rye; enl. Oct. 14, '62; must. 
in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; app. Corp.; must, out Apr. 
16, '63. 

Brit'1 OX, James. Co. B; b. Canada; age 18; res. Dur- 
ham, cred. Durham ; enl. Oct. 20, '62 ; must, in Nov. 13, 
'62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. K, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '63; 
must, out Oct. 9, '63. Supposed identical with James 
Britton, U. S. Navy. 

Brooks, James E. Co. i\\ b. Townsend, Mass.; age 19; 
res. Temple, cred. Temple; enl. Sept. 13, '62; must, in 
Nov. 24, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. F, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, 
'63; wd. July 2, '63, Gettysburg, Pa.; disch. Sept. 10, 
'63, Concord, tm. ex. Died June 22, '74. 

Brown, Charles H. Co. A; b. Lunenburgh, Vt. ; age 
22 ; res. Grantham, cred. Dalton ; enl. Nov. 22, '62 ; 
must, in Nov. 22, '62, as Sergt. ; must, out Apr. 16, '63. 
See I Co. N. H. H. Art. 

Brown, Calvin S. Co. C; b. Seabrook ; age 25 ; res. Sea- 
brook; enl. Nov. '62: app. Capt. Co. C; not mustered. 
See Dartmouth Cavalry. P. O. ad.. Washington, D. C. 

Brown, George. Co. A; b. I^angor, Me.; age 23; res. 
Seabrook, cred. Seabrook; enl. No\\ 25, '62; must, in 
Nov. 25, '62, as Priv.; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

Brown, John T. Co. A; b. Littleton; age 34; res. 
Ossipec ; enl. Nov. 20, '62; must, in Nov. 22, '62, a.i 
Priv. ; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

Brown, Thomas. Co. 1^; b. Porlsmoutli ; age 21; res. 
Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth ; enl. (^ct. 28, '62 ; must, 
in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 



APPENDIX. 273 

BroWxV, William. Co. C; b. Germany; age 24; res. 
Chesterfield, cred. Chesterfield; enl. Dec. 19/62; must, 
in Dec. 30, '62, as Priv. ; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

BURDICK, William. Co. A; b. Clinton, Conn; age 23; 
res. New Hampshire; enl. Nov. 22, '62; must, in Nov. 
24, '62, as Priv.; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

BURGIN, Walter S. Co. B; b. Vermont; age 28; res. 
Rye, cred. Rye; enl. Sept. 19, '62; must, in Nov. 13, 
'62, as Priv,; tr. to (!o. C, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '6i\ 
disch. disab. June 10, '63, Concord. P. O. ad., Wash- 
ington, Vt. 

BURNHAM, CVRUS E. Co. A ; b. Littleton ; age 24 ; res. 
Littleton, cred. Littleton; enl. Nov. 12, '62; must, in 
Dec. 8, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. F, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, 
'63 ; must, out Oct. 9, '61. P. O. ad., Littleton. See 3 
Inf. and I H. Art., N. H. V. 

BUSHEE, George J. Co. C; b. Salem, Mass.; age 26 ; 
res. Seabrook, cred. Seabrook ; enl. Nov. 27, '62; must, 
in Dec. 29, '62, as Priv.; des. Mar., '6^:^, Concord. 

Cannv, John C. Co. B; b. Newburyport, Mass.; age 35 ; 
res. Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth; enl. Sept. 25, '62; 
must, in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. A, 2 N. H. V., 
Apr. 16, '6}i ; must, out Oct. 9, '61. 

Casey, Richard. Co. A ; b. L-eland ; age 3 i ; res. Con- 
cord, cred. Hillsborough; enl. Nov. 17 ,'62; must, in 
Nov. 22, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. H, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 
16, '6}^ ; wd. July 2, '61, Gettysburg, Pa. ; must, out Oct. 
9, '63. P. O. ad., Concord. See 7 N. H. V. 

Chadwtck, Hale. (^o. C; b. Boscawen ; age 21; res. 
Webster, cred. Webster; enl. Dec. 29, '62; must, in 
Dec. 29, '62, as Priv.; app. Sergt. ; must, out April 16, 
'6z. P. O. ad., Penacook. See 18 N. H. V. 

Chamberlain, William J. Co. A; b. Jefferson; age 18; 
res. Jefferson, cred. Jefferson; enl. Oct. i, '62; must, in 
Nov. 22, '62, as Corp.; must, out Apr. 16, '6}^. P. O. 
ad., Lancaster. See i N. H, H. Art. 

Chase, Joseph. Co. A; b. Pelham ; age 29; res. Lancas- 
ter, cred. Strafford; enl. Nov. 19, '62, as Priv.; app. 



274 



APPENDIX. 



2 Lt. Jan. 6, '63 ; must, in to date Nov. 26, '62, as 2 Lt. ; 
must, out Apr. 16, '63. Drowned Ma\^ 27, '73, in Con- 
necticut river, Guildhall, Vt. 

Chase, Simpson E. Co. A; b. Littleton; age 37; res. 
Lancaster, cred. Lancaster; enl. Oct. 18, '62; must, in 
Nov. 22, '62, as Priv. ; app. Corp.; must. out. Apr. 16, 
'63. Waltham, Mass. [Since died.] 

Chipman, Thomas J. Co. B ; b. Newburyport, Mass. ; 
age 44; res. Greenland; enl. Sept. 13, '62; must, in 
Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. I, 2 N. H. V.. Apr. 16, 
'61 ; disch. disab. May 29. '63, Concord. 

Clark, Daniel M. Co. B; b. Jersey; age 19; res. Ports- 
mouth, cred. Portsmouth ; enl. Oct. 7, '62 ; must, in 
Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

Clark, Frank. Co. B; b. Suncook; age 18; res. Gran- 
tham, cred. Grantham ; enl. Nov. 20, '62 ; must, in Now 
20, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. F, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '6^ ; 
to Co. I, Apr. 28, '61 ; must, out Oct. 9, '61. 

COFRAN, Kendall W. Co. A ; b. Weld, Me.; age 18 ; res. 
Seabrook, cred. Seabrook; enl. Nov. 26, '62 ; must, in Nov. 
26, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. B, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '63: 
to Co. H, May 31, '63 ; wd. July 2. '63, Gettysburg, Pa. 
Died, wds. July 30, '63, Philadelphia, Pa. 

Cogswell, Warren. Co. B; b. Haverhill, Mass.; age 
39; res. Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth; enl. Sept. 19, 
'62 ; must, in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. K, 2 X. 
H. v., Apr. 16, '63 ; mis. July 2, '63, Gettysburg, Pa.; 
gd. from mis.; must, out Oct. 9, '63. 

Cook, Thomas. Co. B; b. Canada; age 42 ; res. Ports- 
mouth, cred. Portsmouth; enl. Sept. 19, '62; must, in 
Nov. 13, '62. as Priv. ; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

Cram, Albra D. Co. A; b. Meredith; age 25 ; cred. 
Carroll ; enl. Nov. 29, '62 ; must, in Dec. 2. '62, as Priv. ; 
tr. to Co. C, 2 N. H. v., Apr. 16, '6^ ; disch. disab. June 
10, '6},y Concord. 

Cram, Shepherd B. Co. A; b. Lancaster; age 18; 
res. Dalton, cred. Dalton ; enl. Sept. i i , '62 ; must, in 
Nov. 22, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. F, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16. 
'63. Died, dis. Aug. 2, '63, W'ashington, D. C. 



APPENDIX. 275 

CUM.MI.XGS, Edward N. F. and S. ; b. Canaan, Vt. ; age 

25 ; res. Colebrook ; app. O. M. Nov. 4, '62; must, in 

Nov. 13, '62; must, out Apr. 16, '6}^. P. O. ad., Lynn, 

Mass. 
CUMMINGS, George. Co. A; b. Leeds, Can.; age 18: 

cred. Strafford; enl. Nov. 3, '62; must, in Nov. 22, '62, 

as Priv. ; tr. to Co. B, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '63 : to Co. 

H, May 31, '6^% must, out Oct. 9, '6^. P. O. ad., Lan- 
caster. See 9 N. H. V. 
CuxxiXGHAM, Thomas. Co. A; b. Canada; age 20; 

cred. Strafford; enl. Nov. 17, '62; must, in Nov. 22, 

'62, as Priv.; des. Mar., '6^^, while on furlough. P. O. 

ad., Lancaster. 
Cutler, Lewis W. Co. A; b. Conway; age 25; res. 

Conway, cred. Dalton ; enl. Sept. 15, '62 ; must, in Nov. 

22, '62, as Priv. ; absent without leave. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

P. O. ad., Milton. 
Davis, Charles. Co. B; b. Portland, Me.; age 23; res. 

Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth; enl. Oct. 17, '62; must. 

in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. K, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 

16, '61 ; disch. Feb. 28, '64, Pt. Lookout, Md. 
Davis, James. Co. A ; b. Salem, Mass.; age 23; res. 

North Hampton, cred. North Hampton; enl. Nov. 22, 

'62 ; must, in Nov. 24, '62, as Priv. ; des. Dec. 24, 62. 
Davis, William H. Co. A; b. Effingham; age 18; res. 

Tamworth, crea. Tamworth ; enl. Dec. i, '62; must, in 

Dec. 5, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. F, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, 

'6}) ; must, out Oct. 9, '61. 
Denison, John P. Co. C. ; b. Brookline, Mass. ; age 

44; res. Bristol, cred. Lancaster; enl. Oct. 21, '62; 

must, in Dec. 29, '62, as Priv. ; app. Com. Sergt. ; must. 

out Apr. 16, '61. See i N. H. H. Art. 
Derhv, Johx G. Co. A; b. Lancaster; age 32; res. 

Lancaster, cred. Lancaster; enl. Sept. 2, '62; must, in 

Nov. 22, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. C, as i Sergt. ; must. 

out Apr. 16, '63. P. O. ad., Lancaster. 
Donaldson, Frederick W. Co. A; b. Maine; age 18; 

res. Strafford, cred. Strafford ; enl. Nov. 26, '62 ; must. 

in Dec. 9, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. B, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 



276 APPENDIX. 

16, '61 ; to Co. H, May 3 i , '63 ; \vd. July 2, '61, Gettys- 
burg, Pa.; disch. Sept. 10, '(y},, Concord, tm. ex. See i 
N. H. Cav. 

Dow, WiLLl.KM A. Co. A; age 22 ; enl. Nov. 21, '62; 
must, in Nov^ 24, '62, as Corp.; must, out Apr. 16, '63. 

DUSTIX, George A. Co. C; b. Bethel, Me.; age 19; 
res. Berlin, cred. Berlin ; enl. Nov. 8, '62 ; must, in Dec. 
18, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. A, 2 N.H.V.,Apr. 16, '63; 
must, out Oct. 9, '61. P. O. ad., Minneapolis, Minn. 
See 14 N. H. V. 

DUSTIN, Jonathan E. Co. A; b. Columbia; age 26; 
res. Columbia, cred. Columbia; enl. Sept. 15, '62; must. 
in Nov. 22, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. F, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 
16, '61 must, out Oct. 9, '61. 

DusTiN, Joseph H. Co. A; b. Bethel, Me.; age 24; 
res. Berlin, cred. Colebrook ; enl. Nov. 10, '62; must, in 
Dec. 8, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. G, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, 
'63 ; must, out Oct. 9, '63. P. O. ad., San Jacinto, Cal. 
See 14 N. H. V. 

Emerson, George H. Co. A; b. Lancaster;- age 18; 
res. Strafford, cred. Strafford; enl. Sept. 3, '62 ; must, in 
Nov. 22, '62, as Corp. must, out Apr. 16, '6^. P. O. 
ad., Lancaster. 

Farr, Ammi. Co. B; b. Danville, Me.; age 28; res. 
South Hampton; enl. Nov. 7, '62, as Priv.; app. 2 Lt. 
Jan. 6, '63; must, in Jan. 10, '6}^, as 2 Lt. ; must, out 
Apr. 16, '61. See 6 N. H. V. 

FernalI), John. Co. B; b. Portsmouth; age 31; res. 
Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth ; enl. Sept. 30, '62 ; must, 
in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. K, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 
16, '63 ; di.sch. to date Oct. 9, '63. 

Fh'E, El.MORE R. Co. B; b. Stow, Me.; age 19; res- 
Chatham, cred. Chatham ; enl. Sept. 17, '62; must, in 
Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. C, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, 
'63 ; wd. sev. July 2, '63, Gettysburg, Pa.; disch. to date 
Oct. 9, '6^. P. O. ad., Lowell, Mass. 

FH'^E, Micajah N. Co. B; b. Chatham; age 21; res. 
Chatham, cred. Chatham; enl. Sept. 17, '62; must, in 
Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. C, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, 



APPENDIX. 



277 



'63; mis. July 2, '63, Gctt}'sburL(, Pa.; od. from mis.; 
disch. Sept. lO, '6l, Concord. P. (). ad., North Chat- 
ham. 

FiSIIER, Thomas H. Co B; b. l^rooklyn, N. Y. ; a<,^e 22 ; 
res. Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth; enl. Nov. 15, '62; 
must, in Nov. 15, '62, as Priv.; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

Fitch, George VV. Co. A; a^e 18; cred. Chichester; 
enl. Nov. 19, '62 ; must, in Nov. 22, '62, as Priv.; fur- 
loughed to Feb. 8, '6i\ failed to report on expiration 
of furlouLijh, and was reported a deserter; reported Feb., 
'65, when it was decided, upon full investif^ation of facts, 
that he was not an intentional deserter; assigned to Co. 
A, 2 N. H. v.. Mar. i, '65, to serve unexpired term of 
enlistment; disch. Auf^. 2, '65, Washington, D. C. 

FOLSOM, James D. F. and S. ; b. Wheelock, Vt. ; age 
34; res. Lancaster; app. Surg. Nov. 4, '62; must, in 
Nov. 20, '62; must, out Apr. 16, '63. P. (). ad., St. 
Johnsbury, V^t. 

Foster, Benjamin F. Co. C. ; b. Scabrook ; age 18 ; res. 

Seabrook, cred. Seabrook ; enl. Nov. 10, '62; must, in 

Dec. 18, '62, as Priv.; must, out Ai)r. 16, '63. See i 

Co., N. H. H. Art. Since deceased. 
Franklin, John. Co. B; b. Rockaway, N. J.; age 22; 

res. New Durham, cred. New Durham ; enl. Nov. 20, '62 ; 

must, in Nov. 20, '62, as Priv.; des. N. f. r. I\. G. O. 
FreelanI), John. Co. B; b. Greenland; age 18; res. 

Pelham, cred. Pelham ; enl. Nov. 5, '62; must, in Nov. 

13, '62, as Priv. Died, dis. Jan. 16, '63, Concord. 
P\'1.1,ER, Joseph. Co. B ; b. Cumberland, Me.; age 23 ; 

res. Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth; enl. Oct. lO, '62 ; 

must, in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; app. Corj). ; must, out 

Apr. 16, '63. 
Gallagher, John F. Co. B; b. Paisley, Scot.; age 19; 

res. I'ortsmouth, cred. Portsmouth; enl. Oct. 8, '62; 

must, in Nov. 15, '62, as Priv.; app. Corp,; must, out 

Apr. 16, '63. 
Gardner, William J. Co. A; b. Benson, Vt. ; age 22; 

res. Seabrook, cred. Seabrook; enl. Nov. 25, '62 ; must. 

in Nov. 25, '62, as Priv. ; des. N. f. r. A. G. (). 



278 APPENDIX. 

Gove, Hiram. Co. B ; b. Portsmouth ; age 2 1 ; res. 

Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth; enl. Sept. 22, '62 ; must. 

in Nov. 21, '62, as Priv ; tr. to Co. K, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 

16, '63 ; disch. to date Oct. 9, 63. See State Service. 
Gove, Ira S. M. F. and S. ; b. Whitefield ; age 38; res. 

Lancaster; app. Acting Commissary Nov. 4, '62; not 

must. ; paid by State of New Hampshire from Nov. 20, 

'62, to Apr. 16, '6^, as Lt. ; disch. from state service 

Apr. 16, '61. Died Mar. 24, '94, Whitefield. 
Grant, Charle.s A. Co. B; b. South Berwick, Me.; age 

29; res. Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth; enl. Sept. 22, 

'62; must, in Nov. 13, '62, as Sergt. ; must, out Apr. 16, 

'63. 
Grav, Clarence S. Co. B; b. Portsmouth; age 21 ; res. 

Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth; enl. Sept. 16, '62; must. 

in Nov. 13, '62, as i Sergt.; must, out Apr. 16, '(S^. 

P. O. ad., Kingston. See 2 Inf. and i Co. H. Art.. N. 

H. v., and State Service. 
Hadlock, Hezekiah E. Co. A ; b. Guildhall, Vt. ; age 

19; res. Strafford, cred. Strafford; enl. Oct. 22, '62 ; 

must, in Nov. 22, '62, as Corp. ; must, out Apr. 16, '63. P. 

O. ad., Lancaster. See i Co., N. H. H. Art. 
Haley, James. Co. B; b. Vermont; age 25; res. Gos- 

port; enl. Sept. 17, '62 ; must, in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; 

tr. to Co. K, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '63 ; must, out Oct. 

9. '63- 
Haley, Willlvm. Co. \\\ b. Charleston, S. C. ; age 18; 

enl. Nov, 30, '62, at Bow; must, in Dec. 5, '62, as Priv.; 

des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 
Ham, GeoR(;e H. Co. B; b. Portsmouth; age 31; res. 

Greenland, cred. Greenland; enl. Oct. 3, '62; must, in 

Nov. 13, '62, as Sergt.; must, out Apr. 16, '61. See 

State Service. [Since died ] 
Ham, Joseph O. Co. B ; b. Portsmouth ; age 26 ; res. 

Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth ; enl. Sept. 8, '62 ; must. 

in Dec. 2, '62, as Corp.; must, out Apr. 16, '6^. P. O. 

ad., Portsmouth. 
Hammond, Edgar. Co. A; b. Effingham; age 20; res. 

Tamworth, cred. Tamworth ; enl. Nov. 17, '62; must, in 



APPEXDIX. 



279 



Nov. 22, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. F, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 
16, '61 ; killed July 2, '61, Gettysburg, Pa. 

Hanson, Charles. Co. C ; b. Alton ; age 22 ; res. Pel- 
ham, cred. Pelham ; enl. Dec. 22, '62; must, in Dec. 23, 
'62, as Priv. ; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

Hariman, Alvin. Co. B ; b. Eaton ; age 23 ; res. Bidde- 
ford, Me., cred. North Hampton ; enl. Oct. 6, '62 ; must, 
in Nov. 13, '62, as Corp.; must, out Apr. 16, '6}). P. O. 
ad., Biddeford, Me. 

Harriman, Moses. Co. B; b. Chatham; age 30; res. 
Chatham, cred. Chatham; enl. Sept. 19, '62; must, in 
Nov. 13, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. C, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, 
'61 ; disch. disab. May 25, '63, Concord. P. O. ad., 
Haverhill, Mass. 

Harrold, Christopher W. Co. B; b. Portsmouth; age 
31; res. Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth; enl. Sept. 10, 
'62; must, in Nov. 13, '62, as Sergt. ; must, out Apr. 16, 
'63. See I Co., N. H. H. Art., and Miscel. Organiza- 
tions. P. O. ad., Washington, D. C. 

Hawkes, Harrison F. Co. A ; b. Foxborough, Mass. ; 
age 16; res. Claremont, cred. Walpole ; enl. Dec. i, '62 ; 
must, in Dec. 5, '62, as Muse; tr. to Co. I, 2 N. H. V.,' 
Apr. 16, '61 ; disch. to date Oct. 9, '6'}^. P. O. ad., 
Claremont. 

Heath, Orin. Co. B ; b. Conway ; age 34 ; res. Chatham ; 
cred. Chatham ; enl. Sept. 17, '62; must, in Nov. 13, 
'62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. C, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '61 ; wd. 
sev. July 2, '61, Gettysburg, Pa.; must, out Oct. 9, '6^. 
P. O. ad., Chatham. 

Hicks, Royal. Co. A; b. Jefferson; age n ; res. White- 
field, cred. Whitefield ; enl. Sept. 15, '62; must, in Nov. 
22, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. F, 2 N. H. V., April 16, '6^^ ; 
disch. disab. June 23, ^6},, Concord. See i N. H. H. 
Art. Deceased. 

HoDGDON, RUFUS E. Co. A ; b. Shelburne ; age 20 ; res. 
Shelburne, cred. Shelburne ; enl. Sept. 8, '62 ; must, in 
Nov. 22, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. F, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, 
'61. Died, dis. Jul}' 29. '63, Harper's Ferry, Va. 



28o APPENDIX. 

HODGDON, Timothy E. Co. B; b. Newin^ton; age 44 ; 
res. Rye, cred. Rye; enl. Sept. 29, '62 ; must, in Dec. 3, 
'62, as Wagoner; tr. to Co. I. 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16. '6^ ; 
must, out Oct. 9, '61. 

Holmes, Andrew J. Co. B. See 16 N. H. V. 

Holt, Samuel P. Co. B ; b. Bath, Me. ; age 22 ; res. 
North Hampton ; cred. North Hampton ; enl. Oct. 6, 
'62; must, in Nov. 13, '62, as Sergt. ; must, out Apr. 
16, '6^. P. d. ad.. Boston, Mass. See i Co., N. H. H. 
Art. 

HOVT, Charles W. Co. C ; b. Kingston; age 18; res. 
Candia ; cred. Candia ; enl. Dec. 13, '62; must, in Dec. 
19, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. G, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16,' 63 ; 
des. May 25, '63, Concord; appreh. June 25, '6l, Con- 
cord. Died Aug. 14, '63, Pt. Lookout, Md. 

Hubbard, Delavan G. Co. A; b. Gorham ; age 21; 

res. Shelburne, cred. Shelburne ; enl. Sept. 8, '62 ; must. 

in Nov. 22, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. F, 2 N. H. V.. Apr. 

16, '61 ; disch. disab. May 6, '63, Concord. P. O. ad., 

Shelburne. 
Hubbard, George F. L., alias Leland Hubbard. Co. A; 

b. Gorham; age 16; res. Strafford, cred. Strafford; enl. 

Sept. 10, '62 ; must, in Nov. 22, '62, as Priw Died, dis. 

Dec. 25, '62, Concord. 
Hyde, Thomas C. Co. B; b. Ireland ; age 18; res. VVal- 

pole, cred. Walpole ; enl. Nov. 26, '62; must, in Dec. 5, 

'62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. B, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '63 ; to 

Co. A, May 31, '63 ; must, out Oct. 9, '63. 
Ingalls, \Vn.LL\M B. Co. A; b. Shelburne; age 21; 

res. Shelburne, cred. Shelburne; enl. Sept. 8, '62 ; must. 

in Nov. 22, '62, as Sergt. ; tr. to Co. I, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 

16, '63, as Priv. Died, dis. July 24, '6},, P^'ederick, iMd. 
JaCKMAN, Leyi W. Co. A; b. Shelburne; age 19; res. 

Shelburne, cred. Shelburne; enl. Sept. 8, '62; must, in 

Nov. 22, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. F, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, 

'Gi\ disch. (^ct. 22, '61, to date Oct. 9, '6l, Concord, 

tm. ex. ; killed Jan. 20, '"j^ , on Grand Trunk Railroad. 
Jackson, Alfred S. Co. A; b. Shelburne; age 18; 

res. Lancaster, cred. Lancaster; enl. Nov. 17, '62 ; must. 



APPENDIX. 281 

in Nov^ 22, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. B, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 
16, '63 ; to Co. H, May 31. '63 ; \vd. July 2, '63, Gettys- 
burg, Pa.; disch. Sept. 10, 'G'}^, Concord. P. O. ad., 
Waltham, Mass. 

Jackson, George A. Co. C; b. Keene; age 21; res. 
Windham, cred. Windham; enl. Dec. 27, '62; must, in 
Dec. 30, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. C, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16. 
'63 ; must, out Oct. 9, '6}^. 

Jackson, Willard A. Co. A; b. Portland, Me.; age 
27; res. Lancaster, cred. Lancaster; enl. Nov. 17, '62; 
must, in Nov. 22, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. I, 2 N. H. V., 
Apr. 16, '61 ; disch. disab. May 16, '63, Concord. P. O. 
ad., Nashua. 

Jenness, Isaac F. Co. B; b. Rochester; age 26; res. 
Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth ; enl. Nov. 7, '62, as Priv. ; 
app. Capt. Dec. 30, '62 ; must, in to date Dec. 2, '62, as 
Capt. ; must, out Apr. 16, '6^. P. O. ad., Newington. 

Jenness, John C. Co. A; b. Newport, Vt. ; age 20; res. 
Lancaster, cred. Lancaster; enl. Nov. 25, '62; must, in 
Nov. 25, '62, as Priv.; app. O. M. Sergt. ; must, out 
Apr. 16, '63. See i N. H. H. Art., Miscel. Organiza- 
tions, and State Service. 

Jordan, Frank A. Co. C; b. Plainfield ; age 22 ; res. 
Bristol; enl. Dec. 16, '62; must, in Dec. 18, '62, as 
Priv.; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

Kent, Charles N. Co. C; b. Lancaster; age 19; res. 
Lancaster; app. i Lt. Dec. i, '62; not must.; paid by 
State of New Hampshire from Dec. i, '62, to Apr. 16, 
'63 ; disch. from state service Apr. 16, '6^^. P. O. ad., 
Merrick, N. Y. 

Kent, Henry O. F. and S. ; b. Lancaster; age 28; res. 
Lancaster; app. ('ol. Oct. 23, '62 ; must, in to date Oct. 
23, '62 ; must, out to date Apr. 16, '63. Rank and ser- 
vice recognized by Act of Congress approved July 21, 
'92. P. O. ad., Lancaster. See State Service. 

Kiley, Joseph. Co. A; b. Canada; age 36; res. White- 
field, cred. Whitefield ; enl. Oct. 27, '62 ; must, in Nov. 
22, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. F, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '61 ; 
killed July 2, '63, Gettysburg, Pa. 
19 



282 APPENDIX. 

Kimball, CiiARLKS 11. Co. B; b. Kitteiy, Me. ; age 32 ; 
res. Portsmouth, creel. Portsmouth; enl. Sept. 23, '62; 
must, in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. K. 2 N. H. V., 
Apr. 16, '63 ; must, out Oct. 9, '63. Died Sept. 2, '83. 

KiNDEN, P.\ TRICK J. Co. B; b. Ireland; age 25; res. 
North Hampton, cred. North Hampton ; enl. Oct. 6, '62 ; 
must, in Nov. 13, '62, as Muse. ; reported ])rcscnt on roll 
dated Apr. 10, '63. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

King, Asa J. Co. A; b. Jefferson; age 18; res. Jeffer- 
son, cred. Jefferson ; enl. Oct. 18, '62 ; must, in Nov. 22, 
'62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. F, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '63 ; 
disch. Sept. 10, '63, Concord, tm. ex. P. O. ad., Lan- 
caster. 

King, Charles E. Co. A; b. Whitefield ; age 28; res. 
Whitefield, cred. Whitefield; enl. Sept. 8, '62; must, in 
Nov. 22, '62, as I Scrgt. ; must, out Apr. 16, '63. P. 
O. ad., Whitefield. 

King, Robert. Co. A ; b. St. John, N. B. ; age 19; res. 

Atkinson, cred. Atkinson ; enl. Nov. 28, '62 ; must, in 

Dec. 10, '62, as Priv.; app. Corp. Dec. 10, '62; must. 

out Apr. 16, '63. 
Lambert, John H. Co. B; b. Portsmouth; age 19, 

cred. Portsmouth; enl. Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. 

E, 2 N. II. v., Apr. 16, '63: must, out Oct. 19. '63. 

Died Oct. 22, '84, Biddeford, Me. 
Lang, Lowell Y. Co. B; b. Pittsficld ; age 45; res. 

Greenland, cred. Greenland; enl. Sept. 16, '62; must. 

in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. I, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 

26, '61 ; disch. disab. May 29, '63, Concord. 
Larkin, Charles A. Co. A; b. Holliston, Mass.; age 

32; res. Lancaster, cred. Lancaster; enl. Oct. 18, '62; 

must, in Nov. 22, '62, as Sergt. ; must, out Apr. 16, '6}^. 

P. O. ad.. Wichita, Kan. 
Lawrence, Charles V. Co. A; h. Rutland, Vt. ; age 

28; res. Seabrook, cred. Seabrook ; enl. Nov. 25, '62; 

must, in Nov. 25, '62, as Pri\'. ; dcs. N. f. r. A. G. O. 
Lewis, Cornelu'S. Co. A ; b. Cork, Ir. ; age 40; res. 

Concord, cred. Hillsborough; enl. Nov. 21, '62; must. 

in Nov. 22. '62, as Prix. ; tr. to Co. I. 2 N. H. V., Apr. 



APPENDIX. 283 

16, '6}) ; disch. disab. Ma}' 16, '6^^, Concord. P. O. ad., 

Concord. See Miscel. Organizations. 
LiNDSEV, Nelson B. Co. A; b. Canada; age 37 ; cred. 

Strafford; enl. Dec. 2, '62, must, in Dec. 5, 'G2, as 

Priv. ; des. Dec. 6, '62, Concord. See 3 N. H. V. 
Long, Charles H. F". and S. ; b. Claremont; age 29; 

res, Claremont; app. Lt. Col. Oct. 23, '62; not must. ; 

paid by State of New Hampshire from Nov. i, '62, to 

Apr. 16, '^l ; disch. from state service Apr. 16, '6^. P. 

O. ad., Claremont. See 5 Inf. and i Co. H. Art.. N. H. 

V. 
Loudon, John. Co. A ; b. Belfast, Ir. ; age 22 ; res. Sea- 
brook, cred. Seabrook ; enl. Nov. 25, '62 ; must, in No\\ 

25, '62, as Priv.; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 
LOVEJOY, Henry H. Co. A; b. Littleton; age 26; res. 

Littleton, cred. Littleton; enl. Nov. 12, '62; must, in 

Dec. 8, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. P", 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, 

'63 ; must, out Oct. 9, '63. P. O. ad., Littleton. 
Lucas, Harvey H. Co. A; b. Lancaster; age 30; res. 

Lancaster, cred. Lancaster; enl. Oct. 6, '62; must, in 

Nov. 22, '62, as Wagoner; tr. to Co. F, 2 N. H. V. Apr. 

16, '6'})y as Priv.; mis. July 2, '63, Gettj'sburg, Pa.; gd. 

from mis. ; must, out Oct. 9, '63. P. O. ad., Canaan, Vt. 

See 9 N. H. V. 
McCarty, Henry. Co. A; b. Bow; age 27; res. Salis- 
bury, cred. Salisbury; enl. Nov. 20, '62; must, in Nov. 

22, '62, as Priv.; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 
McDonald, Charles. Co. B; b. Ireland; age 22; res. 

Strafford, cred. Strafford; enl. Dec. 4, '62; must, in Dec. 

II, '62, as Priv. ; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 
McQUEENY, Michael. Co. B. See Michael McQuney. 
McOuney, Michael. Co. B; b. St. Albans, Vt. ; age 

28; res. North Hampton, cred. North Hampton; enl. 

Oct. 7, '62; must, in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. 

E, 2 N. H. v., Apr. 16, '61 ; must, out Oct. 9, 'G^. 
MiDGLEY, Joseph. Co. B ; b. South Andover, Mass. ; age 

18; cred. Portsmouth; enl. Nov. 3, '62; must, in Nov. 

13, '62, as Priv.; reported on roll dated Apr. 10, '6}^, as 

absent with leave. N. f. r. A. G. O. 



284 APPENDIX. 

Mitchell, Frank. Co. C; b. Concord; acre 18; res. 
North Hampton, cred. North Hampton ; enl. Dec. 9, 
'62; must, in Dec. 18, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. B, 2 N. 
H. v., Apr. 16, '6-}i ; to Co. I, May 31, '63 ; must, out 
Oct. 9, '63. Died June 14, '79. 

Mitchell, Thomas. Co. B; b. Kittery, Me.; age 35; 
res. Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth ; enl, Sept. 29, '62 ; 
must, in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. K, 2 N. H. V., 
Apr. 16, '63 ; must, out Oct. 9, '61. 

Moody, Thomas P. Co. A; b. Claremont; age 41 ; res. 
Lancaster, cred. Lancaster ; enl. Sept. i , '62 ; must, in 
Nov. 22, '62, as Corp.; must, out Apr. 16, '63. Died 
Mar. 31, '84, Lancaster. 

MoORE, John C. Co. A; b. Dalton ; age 18; res. Lan- 
caster, cred. Lancaster; enl. Nov. 19, '62 ; must, in Nov. 
22, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. F, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '63; 
wd. July 2, '63, Gettysburg, Pa. Died wds. July 27, '63, 
Baltimore, Md. 

MoORE, Perry C. Co. B ; b. Buxton, Me. ; age 25 ; cred. 
New Hampton ; enl. Oct. 13, '62; must, in Nov. 13, '62, 
as Corp.; must, out Apr. 16, '63, Concord. P. O. ad., 
Kittery, Me. See i Co., N. H. H. Art. 

Morgan, Edmund R. Co. A; b. Bow; age 21; res. 
New Hampshire, cred. Bow ; enl. Nov. 24, '62 ; must, in 
Nov. 24, '62, as Priv.; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

Morgan, Manley W. Co. B; b. Bow; age 19; res. 
Grantham, cred. Bow; enl. Nov. 20, '62; must, in Nov. 
20, '62, as Priv.; des. Apr. i, '63, Concord; reported in 
'65, under President's Proclamation; disch. May 5, '65, 
Concord. 

Morse, Charles E. Co. B ; b. Haverhill, Mass. ; age 
32; res. Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth; enl. Sept, 16, 
'62; must, in Nov. 15, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. K, 2 N. 
H. v., Apr. 16, '63 ; must, out Oct. 9, '6^. 

Morse, Henry P. Co. B; b. Bradford, Mass.; age 32; 
cred. Greenland; enl. Sept, 13, '62; must, in Nov. 13, 
'62, as Corp.; must, out Apr. 16, '63, 

Moulton, Charles W. Co. A ; b, Randolph ; age 30 ; 
res. Whitefield, cred. Whitefield ; enl, Sept. 13, '62; 



APPENDIX. 285 

must, in Nov. 22, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. F, 2 N. H. V., 
Apr. 16, '63; must, out Oct. 9/63. P. O. ad., Jeffer- 
son, 
Newell, John M. Co. A; b. Shelburne; age 24; res. 
Shelburne, cred. Shelburne; enl. Sept. 8, '62; must, in 
Nov. 22, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. F, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, 
'63 ; must, out Oct. 9, '61. P. O. ad., Gilead, Me. 

Nicholson, Nathaniel E. Co. B; b. Conway; age 33 ; 
res. Bartlett, cred. Bartlett; enl. Nov. 12, '62; must, in 
Nov. 17, '62, as Priv.; des. Concord; appreh. Dec. 9, 
'63 ; tr. to Co. G, 3 N. H. V., Jan. 20, '64, to serve 
unexpired term of enlistment; re-enl. Mar., '64; wd. 
May 16, '64, Drewry's Bluff, Va. ; disch. wds. Aug. 8, 
'65, Concord. P. O. ad.. Centre Bartlett. 

Norton, Henry. Co. A; b. New York; age 32; res. 
Strafford, cred. Strafford; enl. Oct. 19, '62; must, in 
Dec. 9, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. F, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, 
'61 ; disch. Sept. 10, '6^, tm. ex. 

Page, William C. D. Co. B; b. Newburyport, Mass.; 
age 44; res. Greenland, cred. Greenland; enl. Sept. 16, 
'62; must, in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. I, 2 N. 
H. v., Apr. 16, '63 ; disch. disab. May 29, '63, Concord. 

Peaslee, Sidney H. Co. A; b. Colebrook ; age 26\ 
cred. Lancaster; enl. Nov. 8, '62 ; must, in Nov. 22, '62, 
as Priv. ; app. Corp; must, out Apr. 16, '63. Died 
Feb. 20, '88, Boston, Mass. 

Perkins, James W. Co. C; b. Hampton; age 27; res. 
Hampton, cred. Hampton; enl. Dec, 11, '62; must, in 
Dec. 18, '62, as Priv.; app. Sergt. Maj.; must, out Apr. 
16, '61. P. O. ad., Gorham. 

Perkins, John S. Co. B; b. Gilmanton; age 18; res. 
Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth; enl. Oct. 27, '62; must, 
in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

Perkins, Josiaii W. Co. A; b. Litchfield, Me. ; age 26; 
res. Strafford, cred. Strafford; enl. Nov, 11, '62; must, in 
Nov. 22, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. I, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, 
'63 ; must, out Oct, 9, '6},. 

Perkins, Sumner. Co. A; b. Berlin; age 18; res. Lan- 
caster, cred. Lancaster; enl. Nov. 3, '62; must, in Nov. 



286 APPEiXDIX. 

22, '62, as Priv. : tr. to Co. F, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '63 ; 
wd. sev. July 2, '63, Gettysburg, Pa.; disch. to date Oct. 
9, '63. P. O. ad., Greenfield, Mass. See V. R. C. 

Pickering, Ebenezer S. Co. B; b. Laconia; age 35; 
res. Chatham, cred. Chatham; enl. Sept. 18, '62; must, 
in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. C, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 
16, '63 ; des. Aug. 4, '63. 

Poor, Joseph. Co. B; b. Ne\vbur)port, Mass.; age 44; 
res. Greenland, cred. Greenland; enl. Sept. 22, '62; 
must, in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. K, 2 N. H. 
v., Apr. 16, '6'})', to Co. A: must, out Oct. 9, '63. See 
2 N. H. V. 

Pratt, Alfred C. Co. A; b. Hebron, Me.; age 44; 
res. Jefferson, cred. Jefferson; enl. Oct. i, '62; must, in 
Nov. 22, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. H, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, 
''6'i^ ; disch. disab. June 9, '(>'}), Concord. P. O. ad., Lan- 
caster. See 9 N. H. V. 

Pratt, Charles. Co. A; b. Bangor, Me.; age 18; res. 
Seabrook, cred. Seabrook ; enl. Nov. 25, '62; must, in 
Nov. 25, '62, as Priv.; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

Putnam, William C. Co. A ; b. Lunenburg, Vt. ; age 
18; res. Grantham, cred. Grantham; enl. Nov. 22, '62, 
must, in Nov. 22, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. A, 2 N. H. V., 
Apr. 16, '63 ; must, out Oct. 9, '6'}y. P. O. ad., Lancas- 
ter. 

Quarter, Moses. Co. A ; b. Canada; age 31; res. Sea- 
brook, cred. Seabrook; enl. Nov. 26, '62 ; must, in Nov 
26, '62, as Priv.; absent without leave. N. f. r. A. G. O 

Rafferty, Frank, Jr. Co. A; b. Eaton, Can.; age 21 
res. Wolfeborough, cred. Walpole ; enl. Nov. 12, '62 
must, in Nov. 22, '62, as Priv.; app. Corp. Nov. 22, '62; 
must, out Apr. 16, '63. P. O. ad., Clarcmont. 

Rand, Anbh C. Co. 1^; b. Portsmouth; age 19; res. 
Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth; enl. Oct. 13, '62; must, 
in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. A, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 
16, '6}, ; must, out Oct 9, '63. 

Rand, James C. Co. C; b. Concord; age 19; res. 
North Hampton, cred. North Hampton ; enl. Dec. 9, '62 ; 
must, in Dec. 18, '62, as Pri\-. ; tr. to Co. B, 2 N. H. V., 



APPENDIX. 287 

Apr. 16, '61 ; to Co. I, May 31, '63 ; must, out Oct. 9, 
'6'^. Supposed identical with James C. Rand, Co. I, 6 
N. H. V. 

Rand, Louis H. Co. B; b. Newcastle; age 26; res. 
Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth; enl. Sept. 16, '62 ; must, 
in Nov. 13, '62, as Corp.; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. See 
State Service. 

Raymond, Robert. Co. B; b. Lowell, Mass.; age 21; 
res. Strafford, cred. Strafford ; enl. Dec. 4, '62 ; must, in 
Dec. II, '62, as Priv. ; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

Reed, James. Co. A; b. Colebrook ; age 21; res. Co- 
lumbia, cred. Columbia; enl. Sept. 15, '62; must, in 
Nov. 22, '62, as Priv.; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. P. O. 
ad., Columbia. 

Reed, Thomas. Co. A ; b. Sheffield, Eng. ; age 23 ; res. 

Pelham, cred. Pelham ; enl. Nov. 26, '62 ; must, in Dec. 

5, '62, as Priv.; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 
Remick, Henry. Co. B; b. Eliot, Me.; age 19; res. 

North Hampton, cred. North Hampton; enl. Oct. 3, 

'62; must, in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. K, 2 

N. H. v., Apr. 16, '6l\ must, out Oct. 9, '63. Died, 

dis. Nov. 28, '64, in Confederate prison, Salisbury, N. 

C, while member of Co. F, 31 Me. Lif. 
RiNES, Ehenezer. Co. A; b. Milton; age 43; res. Jef- 
ferson, cred. Jefferson; enl. Oct. i, '62; must, in Nov. 

22, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. A, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '61. 

Died, dis. Sept. 4, '6^, Pt. Lookout, Md. 
Roberts, James H. Co. B; b. "Topsom, — "; age 14; 

res. Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth ; enl. Oct. 8, '62 ; 

must, in Nov. 13, '62, as Muse; tr. to Co. K, 2 N. H. 

v., Apr. 16, '63; disch. to date Oct. 9, '6'':^, as Priv. 

Supposed identical with James H. Roberts, Co. K, 5 

N. H. V. 
Robinson, Albro L. Co. A ; b. Vermont ; age 44 ; 

res. Strafford, cred. Strafford; enl. Nov. 8, '62; must. 

in Nov. 22, '62, as Priv.; app. Hosp. Steward; must. 

out Apr. 16, ^61. Died Oct. 19, '80, Littleton. 
Rogers, Henry V. Co. B; b. West Newbury; age 22; 

res. Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth; enl. Nov. 18, '62; 



288 APPENDIX. 

must, in Nov. i8, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. E, 2 N. H. V., 
Apr. 16, '61 ; des. May 25, '63, Concord. 

Ross, Gayton O. Co. C ; b. Newburyport, Mass. ; age 
27; res. Seabrook, cred. Seabrook ; enl. Nov. 27, '62; 
must, in Dec. 29, '62, as Priv.; tr. to 2 N. H. V., Apr. 
16, '63. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

Ross, James. Co. A ; b. Scotland ; age 30 ; res. Lan- 
caster, cred. Lancaster; enl. Nov. 4, '62; must, in Nov. 
22, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. A, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '63 ; 
must, out Oct. 9, 'G"}). P. O. ad., Lancaster. 

ROWELL, William L. Co. A ; b. Goshen ; age 28; res. 
Lancaster, cred. Lancaster; enl. Oct. 18, '62; must, in 
Nov. 22, '62, as Priv. ; app. Sergt. Nov. 22, '62 ; must, 
out Apr. 16, '63. P. O. ad., Lancaster. 

RUNNALS, Allison J. Co. B. ; b. Hanover; age 18; 

res. Strafford, cred. Strafford ; enl. Dec. 6, '62 ; must. 

in Dec. 9, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. H. 2 N. H. V., Apr. 

16, '6}) ; must, out Oct. 9, '6}). 
Sanborn, Edmond B. Co. A; b. Dalton ; age 30; res. 

Carroll, cred. Carroll ; enl. Sept. 8. '62 ; must, in Nov. 

22, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. H, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '63 ; 

must, out Oct. 9, '63. P. O. ad., Oshkosh, Wis. 
Sanborn, Samuel PI Co. C ; b. Portsmouth ; age 21; 

res. Windham; enl. Dec. 9, '62; must, in Dec. 18, '62, 

as Priv.; tr. to Co. L 2 N. H. V., April 16, '6^. Died, 

dis. Aug. 20, '63, Pt. Lookout, Md. 
Sargent, Josiaii H. Co. A; b. London; age 22; res. 

Bow, cred. Bow; enl. Nov. 24, '62; must, in Nov. 24, 

'62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. B, 2 N. II. V., Apr. 16, '6t^\ 

disch. to date Oct. 9, '63. P. O. ad., Lakeport. 
Shaw, John B. Co. C; b. Hollis; age 19; res. North 

Hampton; enl. Dec. 18, '62; must, in Dec. 18, '62, as 

Priv.; tr. to Co. A, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '6i\ des. May 

3 I, '6}i, Concord. 
Sherwood, Jason. Co. A; b. Jefferson; age 19; res. 

Jefferson, cred. Jefferson ; enl. Sept. 20, '62 ; must, in 

Nov. 22, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. F, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 

16, '63; wd. July 2, '63, Gettysburg, Pa.; disch. Sept. 

10, '61, Concord, tm. ex. See 2 N. H. V. 



APPENDIX. 289 

Small, Horatio N. F. and S. ; b. Buxton, Me. ; age 
23 ; res. Lancaster; app. Asst. Surg. Nov. 4, '62 ; must, 
in Nov. 14, '62; must, out Apr. 16, '63. See 10 and 
13 N. H. V. 

Smith, Cyril C. Co. A; b. Lancaster; age 25; res. 
Lancaster, cred. Lancaster; enl. Nov. 13, '62; must, in 
Nov. 22, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. A, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 
16, '61 ; must, out Oct. 9, '6},. P. O. ad., Dover. 

Smith, John. Co. B; b. Newcastle; age 22; res. 
Grantham, cred. Grantham; enl. No\-. 21, '62; must, in 
Nov. 21, '62, as Priv. ; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

Smith, Johx W. Co. A; b. Lancaster; age 25; res. 
Lancaster; enl. Nov. 19, '62; must, in Nov. 22, '62, as 
Priv.; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. P O. ad., Dover. 

Smith, Oliver P. Co. A; b. " Whitefield " ; age 18; 
res. Whitefield, cred. Whitefield; enl. Oct. 18, '62; 
must, in Nov. 22, '62, as Corp.; des. Apr. i, '63; 
appreh. ; tr. to Co. A, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '6^, as 
Priv.; must, out Oct. 9, '^l. P. O. ad., Whitefield. 
See 5 N. H. V. and i N. H. Cav. 

Smith, William. Co. A ; b. Bangor, Me. ; age 28 ; res. 
North Hampton, cred. North Hampton; enl. Nov. 22, 
'62; must, in Nov. 24, '62, as Priv.; des. N. f. r. 
A. G. O. 

Spalding, George C. Co. C; b. Merrimack; age 21; 
res. Seabrook, cred. Seabrook ; enl. Dec. 23, '62; must, 
in Dec. 26, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. B, 2 N. H, V., Apr. 
16, '63 ; des. May 24, '63, Concord. 

Staples, John C. Co. A; b. Conway; age 34; res. 
Whitefield, cred. Whitefield ; enl. Sept. 8, '62 ; must, in 
Nov. 22, '62. as Priv.; tr. to Co. A, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 
16, '63 ; must, out Oct. 9, 'G^. P. O. ad., Carroll. 

Stevens, Charles W. Co. B: b. Exeter; age 24; res. 
R}'e, cred. R}'e ; enl. Oct. i, '62 : must, in Nov. 13, '62, 
as Corp.; must, out Apr. 16, '63. 

Stone, Felix. Co. A; b. Canada; age 28; res. Sea- 
brook, cred. Seabrook; enl. Nov. 26, '62 ; must, in Nov. 
26, '62, as Priv. ; absent without lea\e. N. f. r. A. G. O. 



290 APPENDIX. 

Stoodlev, Edward D. Co. B ; b. Portsmouth; age 43 ; 
res. Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth; enl. Sept. i, '62; 
must, in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. K, 2 N. H. V\, 
Apr. 16, '61 ; must, out Oct. 9, '63. 

Stott, Robert A. Co. B ; b. Ballardvale, Mass. ; age 
18; res. Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth; enl. Oct. 10, 
'62; must, in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. K, 2 
N. H. v., Apr. 16, '6i\ must, out Oct. 9, '63. Died 
July 4, '90, Portsmouth. 

Stuart, Charles H. Co. B ; b. Bradford, Mass. ; age 
24; res. Greenland, cred. Greenland; enl. Sept. 13, '62; 
must, in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; app. Corp. Died, dis. 
Feb. 16, '63, Derry. 

Sutton, William. Co. B; b. Saco, Me.; age 19; res. 
Strafford, cred. Strafford ; enl. Dec. 4, '62 ; must, in 
Dec. II, '62, as Priv.; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

Tangnev, James. Co. 1^ ; b. Ireland ; age i 8 ; res. Ports- 
mouth, cred. Portsmouth ; enl. Sept. 30. '62 ; must, in 
Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. K, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, 
'63 ; must, out Oct. 9, '63. Supposed identical with 
James Tangney, Co. D, 18 N. H. V. 

Thompson, John. Co. C; b. Glasgow, Scot.; age 21; 
res. Wakefield; enl. Dec. 17, '62; must, in Dec. 18, '62, 
as Priv. ; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

Tibbetts, George W. Co. A; b. Brook-field; age 23; 
res. Brookfield; cred. Brookfield ; enl. Oct. 8, '62 ; must, 
in Dec. 5, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. I, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 
16, '63; killed July 2, '63, Gett>^sburg, Pa. 

TOBIE, Addison W. Co. B; b. Waterville ; age 21 ; cred. 
Grantham; enl. Nov. 19, '62; mu.st. in Nov. 20, '62, as 
Priv. ; tr. to Co. C, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '6^ ; must, out 
Oct. 9, '61. Died Sept. 6, '75- Manchester. See i and 
4 N. H. V. 

Tool, William. Co. B ; b. Waterford, Ire. ; age 38 ; res. 
Rye, cred. Rye; enl. Oct. 15, '62 ; must in Nov. 26, '62, 
as Priv.; tr. to Co. K, 2 N. II. V., Apr. 16, '(Si \ must, 
out Oct. 9, '63. 

TOWNSEND, James S. Co. B; b. Saco, Me.; age 44; 
cred. North Hampton; enl. Oct. 14, '62; must, in Nov 



APPENDIX. 291 

13, '62, as Priv. ; app. Corp.; tr. to Co. C: must, out 

Apr. 16, '93- 
Turner, Richard. Co. B; b. England; age 39; res. 

Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth; enl. Oct. i, '62; must. 

in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. K, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 

16; '63 ; \vd. sev. July 2, '61, Gettysburg, Pa. ; must, out 

Oct. 9, '63. 
TUTTLE, Jesse. Co. C ; b. Weare ; age 40 ; res. Berlin, 

cred. Berlin; enl. Nov. 8, '62; must, in, Dec. 18, '62, 

as Priv. ; tr. to Co. G, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '63 ; must. 

out Oct. 9, '63, Concord, tm. e.\'.. P. O. ad., Berlin 

Falls. 
WAlNWRKiHT, George A. F. and S. ; b. Hanover; age 

22 ; res. Hanover, cred, Strafford ; app. Adjt. Nov. 4, 

'62 ; must, in Nov. 22, '62 ; must, out Apr. 16, '63. P. 

O. ad., Hanover. See i Co. N. H. H. Art. 

Walch, John A. Co. B; b. Portsmouth; age 18; res. 

Portsmouth ; cred. Portsmouth ; enl. Oct. 9, '62 ; must. 

in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; reported on roll dated Apr. 10, 

'63, as present for duty. N. f. r. A. G. O. 
Walker, John W. Co. B; b. Portsmouth; age 22; res. 

Portsmouth; cred. Portsmouth; enl. Oct. 13, '62; must. 

in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; reported on roll dated Apr. 

10, '63, as absent with leave. N. f. r. A. G. O. 

Wallace, James. Co. A ; b. New York ; age 2 1 ; res. 

New Hampshire ; enl. Nov. 22, '62; must, in Now 24, 

'62, as Priv. ; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 
Warren, Wh.LL\M. Co. A ; b. Peacham, Vt. ; age 33; 

cred. Whitefield ; enl. Now 19, '62 ; must, in Nov. 22, 

'62, as Priv.; tr to Co. G, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '63; 

must, out Oct. 9, '6'^. 
Watson, George H. Co. B ; b. Vermont ; age 40 ; res. 

Lancaster, cred. Strafford; enl. Oct. 17, '62; must, in 

Dec. 29, '62, as Priv. ; tr. to Co. C, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, 

'61 ; must, out Oct. 9, '6^. 
Weare, George H. Co. A; b. Whitefield; age 18; res. 

Whitefield, cred. Whitefield ; enl. Nov. 3, '62 ; must, in 

Nov. 22, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. F, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, 

'63; killed July 2. '63, Gettysburg, Pa. 



292 APPENDIX. 

Weber, Alexander. Co. C; b. Germany; age 21; res. 

Chesterfield, cred. Chesterfield; enl. Dec. 19, '62; must. 

in Dec. 30, '62, as Priv. ; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 
Webster, Frank D. Co. B; b. Portsmouth; age 21 ; res. 

Portsmouth; cred. Portsmouth; enl. Sept. 13, '62, as 

Priv.; app. i Lt. Nov. 13, '62 ; must, in Nov. 13, '62, as 

I Lt. ; must, out Apr. 16, '63. P. O. ad., Philadelphia, Pa. 

See U. S. Marine Corps. 
Weeks, Charles B. Co. B; b. Fr}'eburg, Me.; age 22; 

res. Chatham, cred, Chatham; enl. Sept. 17, '62; must. 

in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv; tr. to Co. C, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 

16, '63. Died dis. June 19, '63, Alexandria, Va. 
Wentworth, Thomas. Co. B; b. Lynn, Mass.; age 29; 

res. Grantham, cred. Grantham ; enl. Nov. 21, '62 ; must. 

in Nov. 21, '62, as Priv. N. f. r. A. G. O. 
Wheeler, Elery. Co. A; b. Shelburne; age 17; res. 

Shelburne, cred. Shelburne; enl. Sept, 8, '62; must, in 

Nov. 22, '62, as Corp.; must, out, Apr. 16, '6}^. P. O. 

ad., Shelburne. See i N. H. H. Art. 
Whipple, Albert F. Co. A; b. Albany, Vt. ; age 37; 

res. Strafford, cred. Strafford; enl. Sept. 15. '62; must. 

in Nov. 22, '62, as Priv; app. Prin. Muse. Nov. 22, '62 ; 

tr. to Co. I, 2 N. H. v., Apr. 16, '63, as Priv.; app. 

Muse. Prin. Muse. May 30, '63 ; must, out Oct. 9, '63. P. 

O. ad.. West Charleston, Vt. Removed to Everett, 

Mass. 
WnriTNG, Henry A. Co. B; b. Bangor, Me.; age 32, 

cred. Portsmouth; enl. Nov. 12, '62; must, in Nov. 14, 

'62, as Priv. ; reported on rolls as present to Apr. 10, '63. 

N. f. r. A. G. O. 
WiLiTAMS, Jared L Co. A; b. Lancaster; age 29 ; res. 

Lancaster; enl. Oct. 18, '62, as Priv.; app. Capt. Dec. 

30, '62; must, in to date Nov. 26, '62, as Capt.; must. 

out Apr. 16, '63. P. O. ad., Lancaster. 
WILLL\^LS, John. Co, B; b. Labrador; age 39; res. 

Hampton, cred. North Hampton; enl. Nov. 11, '62; 

must, in Nov. 14, '62, as Priv. ; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 
Williams, Joseph W, Co. C ; b. Boston, Mass. ; age 

25; res. North Hampton, cred. North Hampton; enl. 



APPENDIX. 



29; 



Dec. 18, '62; must, in Dec. 18, '62, as Priv. ; des. N. f. 

r. A. G. O. 
Williamson, George W. Co. B; b. New York city; age 

28; res. Rye, cred. Rye; enl. Oct. 6. '62; must, in Nov. 

13, '62, as Priv. ; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 
Wilson, Thomas H. Co. B; b. Kittery, Me.; age 18; 

res. Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth ; enl. Sept. 26, '62 ; 

must, in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv.; tr. to Co. K, 2 N. H. V., 

Apr. 16, '6l\ must, out, Oct. 9, '6},. 
WiMAN. George. Co. B; b. New York; age 25; res. 

Grantham, cred. Grantham ; enL Nov. 20, '62 ; must, in 

Nov. 21, '62, as Priv.; des. N. f. r. A. G. O. 
Wingate, Henry. Co. B; b. Sherbrooke, Can. ; age 23 ; 

res. Portsmouth, cred. Portsmouth; enl. Oct. 31, '62; 

must, in Nov. 13, '62, as Priv. Died, dis. Mar. 18, '63, 

Canada East, while on furlough. 
WiNSHIP, Charles W. Co. B; b. New Boston; age 18, 

res. Hampton; enl. Nov. 3, '62; must, in Nov. 14, '62 ; 

as Priv.; tr. to Co. D, 2 N. H. V., Apr. 16, '63 ; wd. July 

2, '61, and died wds. July 23, '^i, Gettysburg, Pa. 



SUMMARY OF SEVENTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE VOLUN- 
TEER INFANTRY. 



Original members, officers, 12; enlisted men, 203; total, 215 
>' " gained by transfer, " " i " i 



Total strength ........ 

Died of disease . . . enlisted men, 4; total, 4 

Mustered out, or disch. to date 

April 16, '63 . officers, 12; enli* 
Discharged on other dates 
Lost by transfer 
Deserted .... 

Not finally accounted for 

Officers appointed but not mustered 



216 



I ; 

" 105; 


I 


" 45; 


" 45 


10; 


10 


5; 


5 



Place of Birth. 



United States 

Canada 

Ireland 

Germany 

Scotland 

England 

New Brunswick 

Labrador 

Unknown 



216 

183 
II 

8 
4 
3 
2 
I 
I 
3 



216 



TABLES 



TABLE I. 

Table showing number of men called for under the President's proclama- 
tions during the war ; the number of men furnished; the quota of New 
Hampshire, and the number credited, from records in the War Department. 



Number 
called for. 



Number 
enlisted. 



N. H. 
quota. 



N. H. 
furnished. 



April 15, 1861, for 3 months. . . . 
May 3, 1861, for 6 mos., i, 2, and 

3 years 

July 2, 1S62, for 3 years 

August 4, 1862, for nine months. 
June 15, 1S63, for six months. . . 
Oct. 17, 1863, and Feb. i, 1864, 

for 3 years in the aggregate*. . 

March 14, 1864, for 3 years 

July 18, 1864, for I, 2, and 3 

years (reduced by excess on 

previous calls) 

Dec. 19, 1864, for i, 2, 3, and 4 

years 

Mustered for 100 days 

May and June, '62, mustered for 

3 months 

June, '63, mustered for 3 months 
Volunteers not on quotas 



75,000 

500,000 
300,000 
300,000 



500,000 
200,000 



500,000 
300,000 



2,675,000 



91,816 

700,680 

421,465 

87,588 

16,361 

369,380 
292,193 



386,461 

212,212 
83,612 

1 5.007 

16,361 

182,357 



780 


779 


9.234 


8.33S 


5.053 
5.053 


6,390 
1.736 


6,469 
2,588 


6,977 
2,965 


4.648 


5.973 


2,072 


1,304 
167 



.875.493 



35.897 34,629 



* Includes men raised by draft. 

The above figures also include commutation. 

The aggregate number of men, reduced to a three years' standard, was 
2, 320,272. 

The difcrepancy in the figures for New Hampshire, as given in other 
tables compiled from the Adjutant-General's reports, and in this one, arises 
from a natural difference in the rolls of the War Department and of the state. 

January ist, 1861, the army numbered 16,367 men. At various dates dur- 
ing the war the number was as follows: 

July I, 1861 186,751. 

Jan. I, 1S62 575.9'7- 

Jan. I, 1863 918,191. 

Jan. I, 1864 860,737. 

Jan. I, 1865 980,086. 

May I, 1865 1,000,516. 



296 



APPENDIX. 



TABLE II. 

Table showing number of officers and men in the various New Hampshire 
organizations during the war. 



First Regiment 

Second Regiment 

Third Regiment 

Fourth Regiment 

Fifth Regiment 

Sixth Regiment 

Seventh Regiment 

Eighth Regiment 

Ninth Regiment. 

Tenth Regiment 

Eleventh Regiment 

Twelfth Regiment 

Thirteenth Regiment 

Fourteenth Regiment 

Fifteenth Regiment 

Sixteenth Regiment 

Seventeenth Regiment 

Eighteenth Regiment 

N. H. Bat. N. E. Cavalry 

First Regiment Cavalry 

First Light Battery 

First Company Heavy Artillery, 

Second Company Heavy Artillery, 

First Regiment Heavy Artillery 

Co. E, First U. S. Sharpshooters. ...... 

Co. F, Second U. S. Sharpshooters 

Co. G, Second U. S. Sharpshooters 

Second Regt. U. S. Sharpshooters, unas 

signed 

Unattached Companies 

Second Brigade Band 

N. H. men in Vet. Reserve Corps 

N. H. men in U. S. Colored Troops 

N. H. men in U. S. Army 

N. H. men in U. S. Volunteers 

N. H. men in U. S. Veteran Volunteers.. . 

N. H. men in U. S. Navy 

N. W. men in U. S. Marine Corps 

N. H. men in other State Troops 



Original 
Number. 



777 
1,022 

1.035 

1,025 

1,002 

885 

982 

926 

990 

926 

1,005 

1,019 

1,016 

968 

919 

914 

216 

977 
326 
927 
156 
145 

1,822 

lOI 

96 

97 

I 

388 
23 



20,811 

413 

396 

>56 

71 

12 

3,160 

366 

1.883 

27,268 



Additions. 



39 

1.533 

734 

734 

1,560 

1.563 
780 

677 
886 
407 
650 

444 
256 
4.8 



109 
606 
102 
36 
45 
35 
15 
14 
28 



Total. 



816 

2,555 
1,769 

1.759 
2,562 
2,448 
1,762 
1,603 
1,876 

1.333 
1,655 
1,463 
1,272 
1,386 
919 

9'4 
216 
978 
435 
1,533 
258 
iSi 
170 

1,857 
116 
no 
125 

4 
388 



11,675 32,486 



413 
396 
156 



3,160 

366 

1,883 



11,675 38,943 



APPENDIX. 



297 



TABLE III. 

Table showing the number killed or who died of wounds, or from other 
causes, in the various New Hampshire organizations during the war 



Killed or 
died of 
wounds. 



Other 
causes. 



Total 
deaths. 



First Regiment 

Second Regiment 

Third Regiment 

Fourth Regiment 

Fifth Regiment 

Sixth Regiment 

Seventh Regiment 

Eighth Regiment 

Ninth Regiment 

Tenth Regiment 

Eleventh Regiment 

Twelfth Regiment 

Thirteenth Regiment 

Fourteenth Regiment 

Fifteenth Regiment 

Sixteenth Regiment 

Seventeenth Re iment 

Eighteenth Regiment 

N. H. Bat. N. E. Cavalry 

First Regt. of Cavalry 

First Light Battery 

P'irst Com])any Heavy Artillery 
Second Company Heavy Artillery 
First Regiment Heavy Artillery 
Co. E, First U. S. Sharpshooters 
Co. F, Second U. S. Sharpshooters 

Co. G, Second U. S. Sharpshooters 

.Second Regt. U. S. Sharpshooters, unas 
signed 




5 
178 
148 
185 
176 
230 
246 
232 

243 
132 
167 
146 
90 
159 
"5 
213 

4 

18 

ic6 
6 
6 
3 
34 
9 
8 



5 

342 
280 

458 
388 

398 

33' 
386 
198 

IPZ 
326 
iSo 
225 

145 
213 

4 
37 

2>Z 

129 

12 

6 

3 
34 



1.934 



2,906 



4,840 



According to ofificial records the total number of deaths during the 
war was as follows : 



Killed in battle 

Died of wounds . 

Suicide, homicide, and execution 

Died of disease 

Unknown causes . 

Total .... 



44,238 

49,205 

526 

186,216 

24,184 

304,369 



A CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF ENGAGEMENTS DURING 
THE WAR, IN WHICH NEW HAMPSHIRE TROOPS PAR- 
TICIPATED, GIVING ALSO THE NAMES OF EACH NEW 
HAMPSHIRE ORGANIZATION ENGAGED. 

[By regiment is meant infantry unless otherwise specified.] 

1861. 

July 21. — Bull Run, Va. Second Regiment. 

Sept. 27. — Lewinsville, Va. Co. E, First Regiment U. S. Sharp- 
shooter.s. 

Sept. 29. — Falls Church, Va. Co. E, First Regiment U. S. Sharp- 
shooters. 

Nov. 7. — Port Royal, S. C. Third and Fourth Regiments. 

1862. 

April ii-May 4. — Siege of Yorktown, Va. Second and Fifth Regi- 
ments, and Co. E, First Regiment U. S. Sharpshooters. 

April 19. — Camden, N. C. Sixth Regiment. 

April 19. — Falmouth, Va. Cos. F and G, First Regiment U. S. 
Sharpshooters. 

March 27. — Big Bethel, Va. Co. E, First Regiment V. S. Sharp- 
shooters. 

March 28. — Rappahannock River, Va. Fifth Regiment. 

May 5. — Williamsburg, Va. Second Regiment. 

May 27. — Hanover Court House, Va. Co. E, First Regiment U. S. 
Sharpshooters. 

May 30. — Front Royal, Va. N. H. Battalion, First Regiment N. E. 
Volunteer Cavalry. 

June I. — Fair Oaks, Va. Fifth Regiment. 

June 8-1 5. — James's Island, S. C. Third and Fourth Regiments. 

June 16. — Secessionvilie, S. C. Third Regiment. 

June 2, 3, 8. — Skirmish at Fair Oaks, Va. Second Regiment. 

June 25. — Oak Grove, Va. Second Regiment. 

June 26. — Mechanicsville, Va. Co. E, First Regiment U. S. Sharp- 
shooters. 

June 27. — Gaines's Mill, Va. Co. E, First Regiment U. S. Sharp- 
shooters. 



APPENDIX. 



-99 



June 29. — Peach Orchard, Va. Second and Fifth Regiments. 

June 29. — Savage's Station, Va. Fifth Regiment. 

June 30. — White Oak Swamp, Va. Second and Fifth Regiments. 

July I. — Malvern Hill, Va. Fifth Regiment, Co. E, First Regi- 
ment U. S. Sharpshooters. 

July I. — Malvern Hill, Va. Second Regiment. 

July 26. — Orange Court House, \'a. Cos. F and G, First Regiment 
U. S. Sharpshooters. 

August 6. — Bowling Green, Va. Cos. F and G, First Regiment 
U. S. Sharpshooters. 

August 9. — Cedar Mountain, \"a. N. H. Battalion, First Regiment 
N. E. Volunteer Cavalry. 

August 21. — Pinckney Island, S. C. Third Regiment. 

August 21-3. — Rappahannock Station, Va. First N. H. Volunteer 
Light Battery, and Cos. F and G, First Regiment U. S. Sharpshooters. 

August 26. — Sulphur Springs, Va. First N. H. Volunteer Light 
Battery, and Cos. F and G, First Regiment U. S. Sharpshooters. 

August 27. — Kettle Run, Va. Second Regiment. 

August 28. — Gainesville, Va. Cos. F and G, First Regiment U. S. 
Sharpshooters. 

August 29. — Groveton, Va. First N. H. Volunteer Light Battery; 
N. H. Battalion, First Regiment N. E. Volunteer Cavalry. 

August 29. — Gainesville, Va. Co. E, First U. S. Regiment Sharp- 
shooters. 

August 30. — Second Bull Run. Second and Sixth Regiments; 
First N. H. Volunteer Light Battery, N. H. Battalion, First Regiment 
N. E. Volunteer Cavalry ; Cos. E, F, and G, First U. S. Regiment 
Sharpshooters. 

Sept. I. — Chantilly, Va. Second and Sixth Regiments; N. H. Bat- 
talion, First Regiment Volunteer Cavalry; Cos. F and G, First U. S. 
Regiment Sharpshooters. 

Sept. 14. — South Mountain, Va. Sixth and Ninth Regiments; 
Cos. F and (i. First U. S. Regiment Sharpshooters. 

Sept. 15. — Boonsborough, Md. Fifth Regiment; Cos. F and G, 
First U. S. Regiment Sharpshooters. 

Sept. 17. — Antietam, Md. Fifth, Sixth, and Ninth Regiments; 
Cos. E, F, and G, First U. S. Regiment Sharpshooters; First N. H. 
Volunteer Light Battery. 

Sept. 19,20. — Black Ford, Va. Co. E, First U. S. Regiment 
Sharpshooters. 

Oct. 22. — Pocotaligo, S. C. Third and Fourth Regiments. 



300 



APPENDIX. 



Oct. 27. — Labadieville, La. Eighth Regiment. 

Oct. 31. — Mountville, Va. Cos. L, K, and M, P^irst Regiment 
N. E. Volunteer Cavalry. 

Nov. 2. — Snickers' Gap, Va. Fifth Regiment. 

Nov. 2, 3. — Upperville, Va. First N. H. Light Battery. 

Nov. 15. — White Sulphur Springs, Va. Sixth, Ninth, Tenth, and 
Eleventh Regiments. 

Dec. 12-15. — Fredericksburg. Va. Second, Fifth, Sixth, Ninth, 
Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, and Thirteenth Regiments; Co. K, First 
Regiment N. E. Volunteer Cavalry ; First New Hampshire Volunteer 
Light Battery; Cos. E, F, and G, First U.S. Regiment Sharpshooters. 

Dec. 13. — Getty's Night Assault. Thirteenth Regiment. 

1863. 

Jan. 14. — Bayou Teche, La. Co. B, Eighth Regiment. 

Feb. 26. — Hartwood Church, Va. N. H. Battalion, First Regiment 
N. E. Volunteer Cavalry. 

March 14. — Port Hudson, La. Eighth and Sixteenth Regiments. 

March 17. — Kelley's Ford, Va. N. H. Battalion, First Regiment 
N. E. Volunteer Cavalry. 

April lo-May 4. — Siege of Suffolk, Va. Tenth and Thirteenth 
Regiments. 

Ai)ril 12-14. — Bisland, La. Eighth Regiment. 

April 19. — Hills Point, Va. Tenth Regiment. 

April 20. — Butte-a-La-Rose, La. Sixteenth Regiment. 

April 27-May 8. — Stoneman's Raid. N. H. Battalion, First Regi- 
ment N. E. Volunteer Cavalry. 

May 1-5. — Chancellorsville, Va. Fifth and Twelfth Regiments; 
Cos. E, F, and G, First U. S. Regiment Sharpshooters; First N. H. 
Volunteer Light Battery. 

May 2. — Frederickslmrg, \'a. First N. \\. Volunteer, Light Bat- 
tery. 

May 3. — Providence Cluirch Road. \'a. Tliirteenth Regiment. 

May 23-July 9. — Siege of Port Hudson, La. ICighth, Fifteenth, 
and Sixteenth Regiments. 

June 9. — Brandy Station, Va. N. H. Battalion, First Regiment 
N. E. Volunteer Cavalry. 

June 14-July 4.— Siege of Vicksburg, Miss. Sixtli. Nintii, and 
Eleventh Regiments. 

June 17. — Thoroughfare Gap, Va. N. H. Battalion, First Regi- 
ment N. IC. \'olunteer Cavalrv. 



aj'/'/:n/)/.\. 301 

June i.S. — Midcllcl)Uij;li, V;i. N. II. li.ill.ilion, !• iist Rc<;iiin.'iU N. E. 
VoIimhMT Cavalry, 

July 1-3. — (Jetlyshiirg, I'a. Second (iiicliulin^ ScvL-iitccntli ), I'iftli, 
and Twelfth Rcj^jimciils, First N. II. Volunteer Li;;lit Battery; Cos. 
I'i, I'", and i'l, l'"irst U. S. Rej^inient Sliarpshoolers. 

July 4 — Little I'aj^e's I5rid;.;e, Va. Tentli Regiment. 

July 10-17. — Jackson, Miss. Sixlli, Nintli, and IHevcntli Ke;;!- 
nients. 

July lo-Sept. 6. — Siej^e of Fort Warner, Morris Island, .S. C. 
Third, l''ourth, and Scvcnili Kcj^inicnts. 

July II, I.S. — Fort VVaj^ner, lirst .ind second assaults. Third and 
.Seventh Kej^inients. 

July 23. — Wappin<( lleij^hts, V'a. Second .md rvvciftli l\e;^inicnts ; 
First N. II. Volunteer Lij;ht Hatlery ; Cos. !•:, I', and C, First U.S. 
Re^^inuMit Shar|)shooters. 

Sept. 7-l''el). 29, '64. — .Sie^e of I''orl .Sumter, .S. C. Third, Fouilh, 
and Seventh Regiments. 

Se|)t. 8. — Sahin Pass, I. a. I'jj;litli Re^^inu iil. 

.Sept. 14. — Rapidan Stali(jn, Va. N. II. li.ittalion, first Rej^^inieiit 
N. IC. Volunteer Cavalry. 

Oct. 12. — Culpeper, Va. N. II. Kallalion, First Re;;in)int N. V.. 
Volunteer Cavalry. 

Oct. 13. — Auljuin, Va. Cos. E, I*' and (i, l-'irsl IJ. S. Re<;inient 
Shar|)shooters. 

()(i. 14. — Bristol Station, Va. N. II. lialtalion. First Re;;inii'nt 
N. v.. Volunteer Cavalry. 

Nov. 7. — Kelly's Ford, Va. Cos. i:, F and (;, First I'. S. Rej^i- 
nient .Sliai psiiooteis. 

Nov. 8. — Brandy Station, Va. l-'irst N. II. Volunteer I.i^ht Battery ; 
Cos. F and C, First U.S. Regiment Sharpshooters. 

Nov. 17-Dec. 4. — Siej^e of Knoxville, Tenn. filevenlh Rej^inient. 

Nov. 27 — Locust Crove, Va. Cos. F, F and (i, First U. S. Regi- 
ment .Sharpshooters. 

Nov. 28-30. — Mine Run, Va. Cos. I'" and (1, First IJ. S. Rej^imenl 
Sharpshooters; First N. II. Volunteer Light Battery. 

1864. 

Jan. I . — .Strawberry Plains, Tenn. Ilicveiith Regiment. 
I''eh. 20. — Olustee, Fla. .Seventh Regiment. 
March 21. — Henderson's Hill, La. Eighth Regiment. 
March 31. — Nulchitoches, La. liighth Regiment. 



302 APPENDIX. 

April 2. — Crump's Hill, La. Eighth Regiment. 

April 7. — Wilson's Farm, La. Eighth Regiment. 

April 8. — Sabine Cro.ss Roads, La. Eighth Regiment. 

April 23. — iMonett's Bluff, La. Eighth Regiment. 

April 24. — Cane River, La. Eighth Regiment. 

April 2 5 -May 7. — Alexandria, La. Eighth Regiment. 

May I. — Snaggy Point, La. Eighth Regiment. 

May 2. — Governor Moore's Plantation, La. Eighth Regiment. 

May 5-7. — Wilderness, Va. Sixth, Ninth, Eleventh Regiments, 
First N. H. Volunteer Light Battery; Cos. E, F and G, First U. S. 
Regiment Sharpshooters. 

May 6-7. — Port Walthall, Va. Tenth and Thirteenth Regiments. 

May 8-20. — Spottsylvania, Va. Sixth, Ninth and Eleventh Regi- 
ments ; First N. H. Volunteer Light Battery; Cos. E, F and G, First 
U. S. Regiment Sharpshooters. 

May 8-9. — Todd's Tavern, Va. Cos. E, F and G, First Regiment 
U. S. Sharpshooters. 

May g-ii. — Swift Creek, Va. — Second, Fourth, Tenth, Twelfth 
and Thirteenth Regiments. 

May 9-10. — Potomac River, Va. First N. H. Volunteer Light Bat- 
tery; Cos. E, F and G, First U. S. Regiment Sharpshooters. 

May 9.^ — Chester Station, Va. Third and Seventh Regiments. 

May 10. — Lempster Hill, Va. Seventh Regiment. 

May 12-13. — Proctor's and Kingsland Creeks, Va. Tenth and 
Thirteenth Regiments. 

May 12-20. — Drewry's Bluff, Va. Second, Third, Fourth, Seventh, 
Tenth, Twelfth and Thirteenth Regiments. 

May 14. — Relay House, Va. — Twelfth Regiment. 

May 14-16. — Marksville, La Eighth Regiment. 

May 16-28. — New Bermuda Hundreds, Va. Fourth and Thirteenth 
Regiments. 

May 17. — Bayou-de-Cilaize, La. Eighth Regiment. 

May i8-June 2. — Bermuda Hundreds, Va. Third and Seventh Reg- 
iments. 

May 18. — •Yellow Ikiyou, La. ICighth Regiment. 

May 23-27. — North Anna River, Va. Sixth, Ninth and Eleventh 
Regiments; First N. H. Volunteer Light Battery; Cos. E, F and G, 
First U. S. Regiment Sharpshooters. 

May 26. — Port Walthall, Va. Twelfth Regiment. 

May 28. — Sheldon's Cross Roads, Va. First N. H. Volunteer Light 
Battery. 



APPENDIX. 303 

May 28-31. — Totopotomoy. Va. Sixth, Ninth and Eleventh Regi- 
ments ; First N. H. Volunteer Light Battery; Cos. E, F and G, U. S. 
Regiment Sharpshooters. 

May 31. — Hanover Court House, Va. First Regiment N. H. Vol- 
unteer Cavalry- 
June 1-12. — Cold Harbor, Va. Second, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, 
Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth and Tiiirteenth Regiments; First 
Regiment N. H. Volunteer Cavalry; First N. H. Volunteer Light Bat- 
tery; Cos. E, F and G, First U. S. Regiment Sharpsliooters. 

June 2, 3. — Bethesda Church, Va. Sixth, Ninth and Eleventh Reg- 
iments. 

June 9. — Near Petersburg, Va. Third and Seventh Regiments. 

June 13. — White Oak Swamp, Va. First Regiment N. H. Volun- 
teer Cavalry. 

June 1 5. — Battery Five, Petersburg, Va. Tentli and Thirteenth 
Regiments. 

June 15. — April 2, 1865. Siege of Petersburg, Va. Second, 
Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, 
Twelfth, Thirteenth and Eighteenth Regiments; First N. H. Volun- 
teer Light Battery; Cos. E, F and G, First U. S. Regiment Siiarp- 
shooters. 

June 16. — Ware Bottom Church, Va. Third and Seventh Regi- 
ments. 

June 2 1-30. — Wilson's Raid on the Weldon Railroad, Va. First 
Regiment New Hampshire Volunteer Cavalry. Cos. E, F and G, 
First U. S. Regiment Sharpshooters. 

June 22. — Jerusalem Plank Road, Va. Fifth Regiment. 

July 27-Aug. 16. — Deep Bottom, Va. Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sev- 
enth and Fourteenth Regiments; First N. H. Volunteer Light Battery; 
Cos. E, F and G, First U. S. Regiment Sharpshooters. 

July 30. — Mine explosion, Petersburg, Va. Fourth, Sixth, Ninth, 
Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth and Thirteenth Regiments; Cos. F and G. 
First LT. S. Regiment Sharpshooters. 

Aug. 17. — Winchester, Va. Fourteenth Regiment ; First Regiment 
N. H. Volunteer Cavalry. 

Aug. 18-22. — Weldon Railroad, Va. Sixth, Ninth and Eleventh 
Regiments. 

Aug. 21. — Summit Point, \'a. First Regiment N. H. Volunteer 
Cavalry. 

Aug. 22 — Charlestown, \'a. First Regiment N. H. Volunteer 
Cavalry. 



304 



APPENDIX. 



Aug. 25. — Ream's Station, Va. Fifth Regiment. 

Aug. 25. — Kearneysville, V"a. First Regiment N. H. Volunteer 
Cavalry. 

Aug. 26. — Halltown, Va. Fourteentli Regiment. 

Aug. 27-Sept. 28. — Bermuda Hundred, Va. Thirteenth Regiment. 

Sept. 3. — Berryville, Va. Fourteenth Regiment. 

Sept. 13. — Lock's Ford, Va. Fourteenth Regiment. 

Sept. 15. — Berryville, Va. First Regiment N. H. Volunteer 
Cavalry. 

Sept. 19. — Opequan. Fourteenth Regiment ; First Regiment N. H. 
Volunteer Cavalry. 

Sept. 21. — Front Royal Pike, \'a. First Regiment N. H. \'olun- 
teer Cavalry. 

Sept. 21. — Gooney Manor Grade, Va. First Regiment N. H. Vol- 
unteer Cavalry. 

Sept. 22. — ^Fisher's Hill, Va. Fourteenth Regiment. 

Sept. 22. — Milford, Va. First Regiment N. H. Volunteer Cavalry. 

Sept. 28. — Waynesborough, Va. First Regiment N. H. Volunteer 
Cavalry. 

Sept. 29. — New Market Heights, Va. Third, Fourth, and Seventh 
Regiments. 

Sept. 29-30. — Fort Harrison, Va. Tenth and Thirteenth Regi- 
ments. 

Sept. 30-Oct. I. — Poplar Springs Church, Va. Si.xth, Ninth, and 
Eleventh Regiments ; Cos. F and G, First U. S. Regiment Sharp- 
shooters. 

Oct. I. — Near Richmond, \'a. Third and Seventh Regiments. 

Oct. 7. — New Market, Va. Third and Seventh Regiments. 

Oct. 7. — Columbia Furnace, Va. First Regiment N. H. Volunteer 
Cavalry. 

Oct. 9. — Tom's Brook, Va. Fourteenth Regiment; First Regiment 
N. H. Volunteer Cavalry. 

Oct. 13. — Reconnoissance to Strasburg, Va. P'ourteenth Regi- 
ment; First Regiment N. H. Volunteer Cavalry. 

Oct. 13-28. — Darbytown Road, Va. Third and Seventh Regiments. 

Oct. 19. — Cedar Creek, Va. Fourteenth Regiment; First Regi- 
ment N. H. Volunteer Cavalry. 

Oct. 27. — Hatcher's Run, Va. Sixth, Nintli, and Eleventh Regi- 
ments. 

Oct. 27. — Boydton Plank Road, Va. Cos. F and G, First U. S. 
Regiment Sharpshooters. 



APPENDIX. 305 

Oct. 27. — Reconnoissance near Williamsburg Road, Va. Second 
Regiment. 

Oct. 27. — Fair Oaks, Va. Tenth and Thirteenth Regiments. 

Nov. 11-12. — Middletown, Va. First Regiment Volunteer Cavalry. 

Nov. 17. — Bermuda Hundred, Va. Twelfth Regiment. 

Dec. 8-9. — Reconnoisance to Hatcher's Run, Va. Fifth Regiment. 

Dec. 8-10. — Weldon Railroad, Va. Cos. F and G, First U. S. 
Regiment Sharpshooters. 

Dec. 20-21. — Lacey's Springs, Va. First Regiment N. H. Volun- 
teer Cavalry. 

1865. 

Jan. 15. — Fort Fisher, N. C. Third, Fourth, and Seventh Regi- 
ments. 

Jan. 18-19. — Half Moon Battery, N. C. Seventh Regiment. 

Feb. 5-7. — Hatcher's Run, Va. Cos. F and G, First U. S. Regi- 
ment Sharpshooters. 

Feb. II Sugar Loaf Battery, N. C. Third and Seventh Regi- 
ments. 

Feb. 18. — Fort Anderson, N. C. Fourth Regiment. 

Feb. 22. — Wilmington, N. C. Third and Seventh Regiments. 

March 2. — Waynesborough, Va. First Regiment N. H. Volunteer 
Cavalry. 

March 6-7. — North Fork, Va. First Regiment N. H. Volunteer 
Cavalry. 

Marcli 25. — Fort Steadman, V'a. Fifth and Eighteenth Regiments. 

March 31. — Dinwiddle Court House, Va. Fifth Regiment. 

March 31.— Boydton Plank Road, Va. First N. H. Light Battery. 

April 2.— White Oak Road, Va. First N. H. Light Battery. 

April 3. — Richmond, Va., occupation. Second, Tenth, Twelfth, 
and Thirteenth Regiments. 

April 6. — Sailors' Creek, Va. Fifth Regiment ; First N. H. Light 
Battery. 

April 6. — Amelia Springs, Va. First N. H. Light Battery. 

April 6. — Deatonsville, Va. First N. H. Light Battery. 

April 7. — Farmville, Va. Fifth Regiment. First N. H. Light 
Battery. 

April 7. — High Bridge, Va. First N. H. Light Battery. 



A RECORD OF THE BATTLES AND ENGAGEMENTS IN 
THE WAR OF THE REBELLION, WHERE THE LOSS ON 
THE UNION SIDE WAS FIVE HUNDRED OR MORE: 
TOGETHER WITH OTHER EVENTS OF IMPORTANCE. 
ALL ARRANGED CHRONOLOGICALLY. 

This list is largely compiled from Frederick Piiisterer's Statistical 
Record. He states that the losses are generally based on official med- 
ical returns, but must not be regarded as perfectly reliable, since some 
returns were based on estimates. The Confederate losses given are 
generally estimates. 

Note. — f., followed by figures, indicates the Federal loss, in killed, wounded, and 
missing ; and c, the Confederate loss from same sources. 

1861. 

April 13. — Fort Sumter, Charleston, S. C, surrenders. 

April 15. — President calls for 75.000 volunteers to serve for three 
months. 

April ig. — Sixth Massachusetts and Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania Reg- 
iments march through streets of Baltimore, Md. ; attacked by mob ; 
several killed. 

May 3. — President calls for 42,034 volunteers to serve for three 
years . 

June I. — Federal forces enter Virginia. • 

July 21. — Bull Run, Va. ; f. 2,952; c. 1,752. 

Aug. ID — Wilson's Creek, Mo.; f. 1,235; c. 1,095. 

Aug. 20. — McClellan assumes command Army of the Potomac. 

Aug. 29. — Fort Hatteras, N. C, surrenders. 

Sept. 12-20. — Lexington, iMo. ; f. 1,774; c. 100. 

Oct. 21. — Bull's Bluff, Va. ; f. 894: c. 302. 

Oct. 31. — Lieutenaut-General Scott resigns; McClellan in command 
of Federal forces. 

Nov. 7. — lielmont. Mo. ; f. 498 ; c. 966. This was General CJrant's 
lirst independent command. 

Nov. 8. — Captain Wilkes, U. S. N., boards British ship Tretil, 
seizes and carries to Boston the Confederate commissioners. Mason 
and Slidcll. 



APPENDIX. 



1862. 



507 



Feb. 14-16. — Fort Donelson, Tenn. ; f. 2,331 : c. 15,067. 

March 6-8. — Pea Ridge, Ark. ; f. 1,349: c. 5,200. 

March 9 — Mcniitor defeats Merr'ijiiack. 

March 1 1 . — .McClellan resigns general command ; assumes command 
Army of the Potomac. 

March 14 — Ne\vl)ern, N. C. ; f. 471 ; c. 583. 

March 23. — Winchester, Va. ; f 567 ; c. 691. 

April 6, 7. — Shiloh, Tenn.; f. 13.573; c. 10,699. 

Ma}' 5. — Williamsburg, Va. ; f. 2,228; c. 1,000. 

May 23. — Front Royal, Va. ; f. 904; c. . 

May 25. — Winchester, Va. ; f. 904; c. . 

May 30. — Corinth, Miss., evacuated. Halleck's army takes posses- 
sion. 

May 31, June i. — Seven Pines and Fair Oaks, Va. ; f. 5,739; c. 

7,997- 

June 6. — Memphis, Tenn.. surrenders. 

June 8. — Cross Keys, \'a. ; f. 625 ; c. 287. 

June 9. — Port Republic, \'a. ; f. 1,002 ; c. 657. 

June 16. — Secessionville, James Island, S. C. : f. 685 ; c. 204. 

June 25. — Oak (irove, Va ; f. 516; c. 541. 

June 26-July I . — Seven days' retreat ; includes battles of Mechanics- 
ville, Gaines' Mills, Chickahominy, Peach Orchard, Savage Station, 
Charles City Cross Roads, and Malvern Hill; f. 15,249; c. 17,583. 

July 2. — President calls for 300,000 volunteers for three years. 

July 13. — Murfreesboro', Tenn.; f. 895 ; c. 150. 

July 20-Sept. 20. — Guerilla campaign in Mo. ; f. 580; c. 2,866. 

Aug. 4. — President calls for 300,000 volunteers for nine months. 

Aug. 8. — Cedar Mountain, Va. ; f. 1,400; c. 1.307. 

Aug. 28, 29. — Groveton and Gainesville, Va. ; f. 7,000; c. 7,000. 

Aug. 30. — Second Bull Run, Va. ; f. 7,800; c. 3,700. 

Aug. 30. — Richmond, Ky. ; f. 4,900 ; c. 750. 

Sept. I. — Chantilly, Va. ; f. 1.300; c. 800. 

Sept. 12-15. — Harper's Ferry, Va. ; f. 11,783; c. 500. 

Sept. 14. — South Mountain, Md. ; f. 2,325; c. 4,343. 

Sept. 14-16. — Mumfordsville, Ky. ; f. 3,616; c. 714. 

Sept. 17. — Antietam, Md. ; f. 12,469; c. 25,899. 

Sept. 19, 20. — luka. Miss.; f. 782; c. 1,516. 

Sept. 22. — President issues proclamation to free slaves Jan. i. 1863. 

Oct. 3, 4. — Corinth, Miss. ; f. 2,359; ^- 9'4-3- 

Oct. 5. — Big Hatchie River, Miss. ; f. 500; c. 400. 



308 APPENDIX. 

Oct. 8. — Feriyville, Ky. ; f. 4.348; c. 4,500. 

Oct. 10-13. — Raid of Confederate General Stuart into Pennsylvania. 

Nov. 5. — Burnside supersedes McCIellan. 

Dec. 7. — Prairie Grove, Ark. : f. 1,148; c. 1,500. 

Dec. 7. — Hartsville, Tenn. ; f. 1,855; c. 149. 

Dec. 12-18. — F'oster's expedition, Goldsboro, N. C ; f. 577 ; c. 739. 

Dec. 13. — Fredericksburg, Va. ; f. 12,353: c.4,576. 

Dec. 20. — Holly Springs, Miss.; f. 1,000. 

Dec. 27. — Elizabethtown, Ky. ; f. 500. 

Dec. 28, 29. — Chickasaw Bayou, Miss. : f. 1,929; c. 207. 

Dec. 31-Jan. 2, "63. — Stone's River, Tenn.; f. 11,578; c. 14,560. 

1863. 

Jan. I. — Galveston, Tex. ; f. 600; c. 50. 

Jan. 2. — President Lincoln proclaims freedom to slaves in rebel 
states. 

Jan. II. — Fort Hindman, Ark.; f. 977; c. 5,500. 

Jan. 26. — Hooker supersedes Burnside. 

Feb. 25. — Conscript bill passed by congress. 

March 3. — Congress suspends habeas corpus act. 

March 4, 5. — Thompson's Station, Tenn. : f. 1,706; c. 600. 

April 27-May 3. — Streight's raid from Tuscumbia, Ala., to Rome, 
Ga. ; f. 1,547- 

May I. — Port Gibson, Miss.; f. 853: c. 1,650. 

May 1-4. — Chancellorsville, Va. ; f. 16,030; c 12,281. 

May 10. — Death of Stonewall Jackson. 

May 16. — Champion Mills, Miss.; f. 2,457; c. 4.300. 

May i8-July 4 — Siege of Vicksburg, Miss.; f. 4,536; c. 31,277. 

May 27-July 9. — Siege of Port Hudson, La. ; f. 3,000 ; c. 7,208. 

June 6-8. — Milliken's Bend, La. ; f. 492 : c. 725. 

June 9. — Beverly Ford and Brandy Station, Va. ; f. 500 ; c. 700. 

June 13-15. — Winchester. Va. : f. 3,000; c. 850. 

June 14. — Confederate invasion of Maryland and Pennsylvania com- 
menced. 

June 23-30. — Rosecrans' campaign from Murfreesboro" to Tulla- 
homa, Tenn.; f. 560; c. 1,634. 

June 27. — Meade supersedes Hooker. 

July 1-3. — Gettysburg, Pa.; f. 23,186; c. 31,621. 

July 9-16. — Jackson, Miss.; f. 1,000; c. 1,339. 

July 13-16. — Riots in New York city against enforcement of con- 
scription act. 



APPEXDIX. 



309 



July 18. — Fort Wagner, S. C, second assault; f. 1,500; c. 174. 

Sept. 10. — Knoxville, Tenn., occupied by Burnside. 

Sept. 19, 20. — Chickamauga, Ga. ; f. 15,851 ; c. 17,804. 

Oct. 17 and Feb. i, '64.— President calls for 500,000 men for three 
years, to include men raised by draft in 1863. 

Oct. 19. — Rosecrans' command of army in Tennessee, superseded by 
Grant, Thomas, and Sherman. 

Nov. 3. — Grand Coteau, La.; f. 726; c. 445. 

Nov. 6. — Rogersville, Tenn. ; f. 667 : c. 30. 

Nov. 23-25. — Chattanooga, Tenn., includes Orchard Knob, Look- 
out Mountain, and Missionary Ridge ; f. 5,616; c. 8,684. 

Nov. 26-28. — Mine Run, Va. ; f. 500; c. 500. 

Dec. 14. — Bean"s Station, Tenn. : f. 700; c. 900. 

i864. 

Feb. 20. — Olustee, Fla. ; f. 1,828; c. 500. 

March 12. — General Grant made lieutenant-general, and in com- 
mand of all armies, succeeding Halleck. 

March 14. — President calls for 200,000 men for three years. 

April 8. — Sabine Cross Roads, La. : f. 2,900: c. 1,500. 

April 9. — Pleasant Hills, La.: f. 1,100; c. 2,000. 

April 12. — Fort Pillow, Tenn: f. 574: c 80. 

April 17-20. — Plymouth, N. C. : f. 1,600: c. 500. 

April 30. — Jenkin's Ferry, Ark. ; f. 1,155: c. 1,100. 

May 5-7. — Wilderness, Va. ; f. 18,387: c. 11,400. 

May 5-9. — Rocky Face Ridge, Ga. ; f. 837 ; c. 600. 

May 8-18. — Spottsylvania Court-House. Va. ; f. 12,564: c. 9,000. 

May 9, 10. — Cloyd's .Mt., and New Rivi^- Bridge, \'a. : f. 745 ; c. 
900 ; Swift Creek, Va. ; f. 490 ; c. 500. 

May 12-16. — Fort Darling, Drury"s Bluff, Va. ; f. 3,012; c. 2,500. 

May 13-16. — Resaca. Ga. ; f. 2,747; c. 2,800. 

May 15. — New Market, \'a. ; f. 920; c. 405. 

May 16-30. — Bermuda Hundred, Va. ; f. 1,200; c 3,000. 

May 23-27. — North Anna River, \'a. : f. 1,973 ; c. 2,000. 

May 25-June 4. — Dallas, Ga. : f. 2,400; c. 3,000. 

June 1-12. — Cold Harbor, Va. ; f. 14,931 ; c. 1.700. 

June 5. — Piedmont, Va. ; f. 780; c. 2,970. 

June 9-30. — Kenesaw Mountain. Ga. ; f. 8,670; c. 4.600. 

June 10. — Price's Cross Roads, Miss. ; f. 2,240; c. 606. 

June 10. — Kellar's Bridge, Ky. ; f. 767. 

June II. 12 — Trevellian Station, Va. : f. 735 : c. 370. 



3IO APPEMDIX. 

June 15-19- — Petersburg, Va. ; includes Baylofs P"arm, Walthal, and 
Weir Bottom Church ; f. 10,586. 

June 17, 18. — Lynchburg, Va. ; f. 700; c. 200. 

June 20 30. — Trenches in front of Petersburg, Va. ; f. 1,418. 

June 22-30. — Wilson's raid on Weldon Railroad, Va. ; f. 1,041: 
c. 300. 

June 22, 23. — Weldon Railroad, Va. : f. 5,315 : c. 500. 

June 27. — Kenesavv Mountain, Ga. ; f. 3,000 ; c. 600. 

July 1-13. — Part of Lee's army invades Maryland, threatens Wash- 
ington, and retreats. 

July 1-31- — F"ront of Petersburg, Va. : f. 3,695. 

July 6-10. — Chattahoochee River, Ga. : f. 730 ; c. 600. 

July 9. — Monocacy, Md. ; f. 1,959; c. 400. 

July 13-15. — Tupelo, Miss. ; f. 648 ; c. 700. 

July 18. — President calls for 500,000 men for three years. 

July 20. — Peach Tree Creek, Ga. ; f. 1,710 ; c. 4,796. 

July 22. — Atlanta, Ga. : f. 3,641 : c. 8,499. 

July 24. — Winchester, Va. ; f. 1,200; c. 600. 

July 26-31. — Stoneman's raid to Macon, Ga. ; f. 1,000. 

July 26-31. — McCook\s raid to Lovejoy Station, Cia. : f. 600. 

July 28. — Atlanta, Ga., Ezra Chapel : f. 700 : c. 4,642. 

July 30. — .Vline explosion, Petersburg, Va. : f. 4,008 ; c. 1,200. 

Aug. 1-31. — Trenches before Petersburg, Va. ; f. 571. 

Aug. 5-8 Confederate flotilla, near Mobile, Ala., destroyed by 

Farragut, and Fort Gaines taken. 

Aug. 14-18. — Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom Run, Va. : f. 3,555 ; 
c. 1,100. 

Aug. 18, 19. 21. — Si.x-Mile House, Weldon Railroad, Va. : f. 4,543 : 
c. 4,000. 

Aug. 21. — Summit Point, Va. : f. 600 ; c. 400. 

Aug. 25. — Ream's Station, Va. ; f. 2,442; c. 1,500. 

Aug. 31-Sept. I. — Jonesboro, Ga. : f. 1,149: c. 2,000. 

May 5 to Sept 8. — Campaign in Georgia, from Chattanooga, Tenn., 
to Atlanta; f. 37,199. 

Sept. I. — Siierman occupies Atlanta. 

Stpt. I — Oct. 30. — Trenches before Petersburg, Va. ; f. 1,804: c. 
1 ,000. 

Sept. 19. — Opequan, Winchester, Va. ; f. 4,990; c. 5,500. 

Sept. 23. — Athens, Ala. ; f. 950; c. 30. 

Sept. 24-Oct. 28. — Price's invasion of Missouri ; f. 506. 

Sept. 28-30. — New Market Heights, Va. : f. 2,429: c. 2,000. 



APPENDIX. 311 

Sept. 30-Oct. I. — Poplar Springs Clnircli, Va. ; f. 2,685; c. 900. 

Oct. 5. — Allatoona, Ga. ; f. 706; c. 1,142. 

Oct. 19. — Cedar Creek, Va. ; f. 5,995 ; c. 4,200. 

Oct. 19. — St. Albans, Vt., raid. 

Oct. 27. — Hatcher's Run, Va. ; f. 1,902 ; c. 1,000. 

Oct. 27-28 — Fair Oaks, near Richmond, Va. ; f. 1,303 ; c. 451. 

Nov. 8. — Abraham Lincoln re-elected President of the United States. 

Nov. 13. — Sherman begins liis march from Atlanta to Savannah, Ga. 

Nov. 28. — Fort Kelly W. Va. ; f. 700 ; c. 5. 

Nov. 30. — Franklin, Tenn. ; f. 2,326; c. 6,252. 

Nov. 30. — Honey Hill, S. C. ; f. 71 1 . 

Dec. 6-9. — Deveaux's Neck, S. C. ; f. 629 ; c. 400. 

Dec. 15-16. — Nashville, Tenn. ; f. 2,140; c. 15,000. 

Dec. 19. — President calls for 300,000 more men. 

Dec. 21. — Sherman enters Savannah, Ga. 

1865. 

Jan. II. — Beverly, W. Va. ; f. 608. 

Jan. 13-15. — Fort Fisher, N. C. ; f. 955 ; c. 2,483. 

Feb. 5-7. — Dabney's Mills, Va. ; f. 1,480; c. i,2co. 

March 8-10. — Wilco.x's Bridge, N. C. ; f. 1,101 ; c. 1,500. 

March 16. — Averysboro, N. C. ; f. 554; c. 865. 

March ig-21. — Bentonville, N. C. ; f. 1,646; c. 2,825. 

March 25. — Fort Steadman, Petersburg, Va. ; f. 911 ; c. 2,681. 

March 25. — Petersburg, Va. : f. 1.176; c. 834. 

March 26-April 8. — Spanisii Fort, Ala. ; f. 795 ; c. 552. 

March 22-April 24. — Wilson's Raid from Chickasaw, Ala., to 
Macon, Ga. ; f. 725 : c. 8,020. 

March 31. — Boydton and White Oak Roads, Va. : f. 1,867: c. 
1,235. 

April I. — Five Forks, Va. ; f. 884; c. 8,500. 

April 2. — Fall of Petersl)urg, Va. ; f. 3,361 ; c. 3,000. 

April 2, 3. — Richmond evacuated and occupied by the Federal army. 

April 6. — Sailors' Creek, Va. (Sheridan overtakes and defeats Lee) ; 
f. i,iSo : c. 7,000. 

April 6. — High Bridge, Va. ; f. 1,041. 

April 7. — Farmville, Va. ; f. 655. 

April g. — Lee surrenders to (irant at Appomatox Court House; c. 
26,000. 

April 9. — Fort Blakeley, Ala. ; f. 629; c. 2,900. 

April 12. — Mobile, Ala. I-Lvacuated by the Confederates. 



312 APPENDIX. 

April 14. — United States flag replaced on Fort Sumter, Charleston, 
S. C. 

AjDril 14. — President Lincoln assassinated in Ford's Theater, Wash- 
ington, D. C, by Wilkes Booth, who escapes. 

April 15. — President Lincoln dies at 7:30 a. m., Andrew Johnson 
sworn in as president. 

April 26. — Confederate General Johnston surrenders with his army to 
Sherman; c. 29,924; Wilkes Booth captured and shot. 

May 4. — Confederate Gen. Dick Taylor surrenders, near Mobile, 
Ala. ; c. 10,000. 

May 10. — Jefferson Davis captured at Irwinsviile, Ga. 

May 10. — Confederate Gen. Sam Jones surrenders; c. 8,000. 

May II. — Confederate Gen. Jeff Thompson surrenders; c. 7,454. 

May 26. — Confederate Gen. Kirby Smith surrenders ; c. 20,000. 

The above list includes 149 engagements, in each of which the loss 
to the Union armies was over 500. 

The total number of engagements chronicled by Captain Phisterer. in 
his book referred to, is 2,261. 



SONGS AND POETRY OF THE WAR. 



WHEN JOHNNY COMES MARCHING HOME. 

p. S. GILMORE. 

When Johnny comes marching home again, hurrah, hurrah 
We'll give him a hearty welcome then, hurrah, hurrah! 

The men will cheer, the boys will shout, 

The ladies they will all turn out. 
And well all feel gay 

When Johnny comes marching home. 

The old church-bell will peal with joy, hurrah, hurrah! 

To welcome home our darling boy, hurrah, hurrah ! 
The village lads and lasses say 
With roses they will strew the way. 

And we'll all feel gay 

When Johnny comes marching home. 

Get ready for the jubilee, hurrah, hurrah I 

We '11 give the hero three times three, hurrah, hurrah ! 

The laurel wreath is ready now 

To place upon his loyal brow, 
And we'll all feel gay 

When Johnny comes marching home. 

Let love and friendship, on that day, hurrah, hurrah ! 
Their choicest treasures then display, hurrah, hurrah ! 

And let each one perform some part 

To till with joy the warrior's heart. 
And we '11 all feel gay 

When Johnny comes marching home. 



^^14 APPENDIX. 

JOHN BROWN'S BODY. 

John Brown's body lies a-niouldering in the grave, 
John Brown's body lies a-niouldering in the grave. 
John Brown's body lies a-niouldering in the grave. 
But his soul is marching on ! 

Glory, glory, hallelujah I 
Glory, glory, hallelujah I 
Glory, glory, hallelujah ! 

His soul is marching on. 

He's gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord. 
He's gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord, 
He's gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord. 
But his soul is marching on ! 
Glory, etc. 

John Brown's knapsack is strapped upon his back. 
John Brown's knapsack is strapped upon his back, 
John Brown's knapsack is strapped upon his back. 
.And his soul is marching on I 
Glory, etc. 

His pet lambs will meet him on the way. 
His pet lambs will meet him on the way. 
His pet lambs will meet him on the way. 
As they go marching on I 
Glory, etc. 

They'll hang Jeff Davis on a sour apple tree. 
They'll hang Jefl" Davis on a sour apple tree. 
They "11 hang Jeft' Davis on a sour apple tree, 
.As they go marching on I 
Glory, etc. 

Now three rousing cheers for the L'nion, 
Now three rousing cheers for the Union, 
Now three rousing cheers for the Union, 
As we go marching on ! 
Glorv, etc. 



APPENDIX. 



315 



MARCHING ALONG. 

\VM. li. li|{AI)lU'KV. 

The army is gathering from near and from far : 
The trumpet is sounding the call for the war ; 
For Grant is our leader — he \s gallant and strong : 
We'll gird on our armor and l)e marching along! 

Chorus : Marcliing along, we are marching along, 

Gird on the armor and he marching along ; 

For Grant is our leader — he's gallant and strong ; 

For God and our Country, we are marching along! 

The foe is before us in battle array, 

IJut let us not waver nor turn from the way ! 

The Lord is our strength, and the Union's our song ; 

With courage and faith we are marching along! 

Chorus : 

Our wives and our ciiiltlren we leave in your care ; 
We feel you will help them with sorrow to bear ; 
'T is hard thus to part, but we hope \ won't be long ; 
We '11 keep up our hearts as we 're marching along ! 

Chorus : 

We sigh for our country — we mourn for our dead ! 
For them, now, our last drop of blood we will shed ! 
Our cause is the right one — our foe's in the wrong; 
Then gladly we'll sing as we're marching along ! 

CnoRits : 

The flag of our country is tloating on high ; 
We'll stand by that flag till we conquer or die ! 
For (jrant is our leader — he's gallant and strong ; 
We'll gird on our armor and be marching along! 

Chorus : 



3l6 APPENDIX. 

BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC. 

JULIA WARD HOWE. 

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord : 
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored 
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible Swift Sword; 
His truth is marching on. 

I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps ; 
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps ; 
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps : 
His day is marching on. 

I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnish'd rows of steel ; 
•'As ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall deal ; 
Let the Hero born of woman crush the serpent with his heel, 
Since God is marching on." 

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat ; 
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat : 
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him ! be jubilant my feet I 
Our God is marching on. 

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the Sea, 
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me ; 
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free. 
While God is marching on. 



THE BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM. 

(iEO. F. KOOT. 

Yes, we '11 rally round the flag, boys. 

We'll rally once again. 
Shouting the battle-cry of P'reedom ; 
We will rally from the hillside. 

We will rally from the plain, 
Shouting the battle-cry of Freedom. 

ChokU-S : The Union forever I Hurrah, boys, hurrah I 
Down with the traitors, up with the stars : 
While we rally Vound the flag, boys, 

Rally once again, 
.ShoutiuL: the battle-cry of Freedom. 



AFPEXDIX. 317 



We are springing to the call 
Of our brothers gone before, 

Shouting the battle-cry of Freedom ; 

And we '11 fill the vacant ranks 
With a million freemen more, 

Shouting the battle-cry of Freedom. 

Chorus : 

We will welcome to our number 
The loyal, true, and brave. 
Shouting the battle-cry of Freedom ; 
And although he may be poor, 

He shall never be a slave. 
Shouting the battle-cry of Freedom. 

Chorus : 

We are springing to the call. 

From the East and from the West, 

Shouting the battle-cry of Freedom ; 

And well hurl the rebel crew 
From the land we love the best. 

Shouting the battle-cry of Freedom. 

Chorus : 

We are marching to the field, boys. 

Going to the fight. 
Shouting the battle-cry of Freedom ; 
And we '11 bear the glorious stars 

Of the Union and the Right, 
Shouting the battle-cry of Freedom. 

Chorus: 

We'll meet the rebel host, boys. 
With fearless hearts and true. 

Shouting the battle-cry of Freedom ; 

And we'll show what Uncle Sam 
Has for loyal men to do, 

Shouting the battle-cry of Freedom. 

Chorus : 



315 



APPENDIX. 

If we fall amid the fray, boys, 
We will face them to the last. 

Shouting;; the battle-cry of Freedom : 

And our comrades brave shall hear us. 
As we are rushing past, 

Shouting the battle-cry of Freedom. 

Chorus : 

Yes, for Liberty and Union 
We are springing to the fight. 

Shouting the battle-cry of Freedom ; 

And the Victory shall be ours, 
Forever rising in our might. 

Shouting the battle-cry of Freedom. 
Chorus : 



ALL QUIET ALONG THE POTOMAC. 

MRS. E. L. BEERS. 

" All quiet along the Potomac," they say, 

" Except now and then a stray picket 
Is shot, as he walks on his beat, to and fro, 

By a rifleman hid in the thicket : 
'T is nothing, a private or two now and then 

Will not count in the news of the battle : 
Not an officer lost — only one of tlie men, 

Moaning out. all alone, his death-rattle."' 

All quiet along the Potomac to-night. 

Where the soldiers lie peacefully dreaming ; 
Their tents in the rays of the clear autumn moon, 

On the light of the watch-fires are gleaming. 
A tremulous sigh, as the gentle night wind 

Through the forest leaves softly is creeping ; 
While stars, up above, with their glittering eyes. 

Keep guard — for the army is sleeping. 

There "'s only the sound of the lone sentry's tread. 
As he tramps from the rock to the fountain. 

And he thinks of the two in the low trundle-bed 
Far away in the cot on the mountain. 



APPENDIX. 

His musket falls slack — his face, dark and grim, 
Grows gentle with memories tender, 

As he mutters a prayer for the children asleep, 
For their mother — may Heaven defend her! 

The moon seems to shine just as brightly as then, 
That night, when tlie love yet unspoken 

Leaped up to his lips — when low murmured vows 
Were pledged to be ever unbroken. 

Then drawing his sleeve roughly over his eyes, 
He dashes off tears that are welling, 

And gathers his gun closer up to its place, 

As if to keep down the heart-swelling. 

He passes the fountain, the blasted pine tree — 

The footstep is lagging and weary ; 
Yet onward he goes, through the broad belt of light. 

Toward the shades of the forest so dreary. 
Hark! was it the night wind that rustled the leaves ? 

Was it moonlight so suddenly flashing.? 
It looked like a rifle . . . "Ha! Mary, good- by ! '" 

And the life-blood is ebbing and plashing. 

All quiet along the Potomac to-night ; 

No sound save the rush of the river ; 
While soft falls the dew on the face of the dead 

The picket's off duty forever! 



319 



SOMEBODY'S DARLING. 

MARIE LACOSTE. 

Into a ward of the white-washed walls, 

Where the dead and the dying lay. 
Wounded by bayonets, shells, and balls, 

Somebody's darling was borne one day, — 
Somebody's darling, so young and so brave. 

Wearing still on his pale, sweet face 
(Soon to be hid by the dust of the grave) 

The lingering light of his boyhood's grace. 



320 APPENDIX. 

Matted and damp are the curls of gold, 

Kissing the snow of that fair young brow 
Pale are the lips of delicate mould — 

Somebody's darling is dying now! 
Back from the beautiful, blue-veined face 

Brush every wandering silken thread ! 
Cross his hands as a sign of grace — 

Somebody's darling is stiif and dead I 

Kiss him once for so/aebody's sake ; 

Murmur a prayer, soft and low ; 
One bright curl from the cluster take — 

They were somebody's pride, you know. 
Somebody's hand hath rested there — 

Was it a mother's, soft and white? 
And have the lips of a sister fair 

Been baptised in those waves of light? 

God knows best. He was somebody's love 

Somebody's heart enshrined him there ; 
Somebody wafted his name above, 

Night and morn, on the wings of prayer. 
Somebody wept when he marched away. 

Looking so handsome, brave, and grand ; 
Somebody's kiss on his forehead lay : 

Somebody clung to his parting hand. 

Somebody 's watching and waiting for him, 

Yearning to hold him again to her heart : 
There he lies, with the blue eyes dim, 

And smiling, child-like lips apart ! 
Tenderly bury the fair young dead. 

Pausing to drop on his grave a tear ; 
Carve on the wooden slab at his head : 

" Somebody's darling lies buried here ! '' 



MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA. 

Bring the good old l)ugle, boys! We'll sing another song, 
Sing it with the spirit that will start the world along — 
Sing it as we used to sing it, fifty thousand strong, 
While we were marchins: throujrh Georgia. 



APPENDIX. 321 

Chorus: " Hurrah ! hurrah ! we bring the jubilee! 

Hurrah I hurrah ! the flag that makes you free ! " 
So we sing the chorus from Atlanta to the sea, 
While we were marching through Georgia. 

How the darkies shouted when they heard the joyful sound ! 
How the turkeys gobbled, which our commissary found ! 
How the sweet potatoes even started from the ground, 
While we were marching through Georgia. 

Chorus : 

Yes, and there were Union men who wept with joyful tears. 
When they saw the honored flag they had not seen for years ; 
Hardly could they be restrained from breaking off" in cheers. 
While we were marching through Georgia. 

Chorus : 

"Sherman's dashing Yankee boys will never reach the coast!'' 
So the saucy rebels said, and 't was a handsome boast. 
Had they not forgot, alas, to reckon with the host, 
While we were marching through Georgia. 

Chorus: 

So we made a thoroughfare for freedom and her train, 
Sixty miles in latitude — three hundred to the main; 
Treason fled before us, for resistance was in vain. 

While we were marching through Georgia. 
Chorus : 

But the march is not yet finished, nor will we yet disband, 
While still a trace of treason remains to curse the land. 
Or any foe against the flag uplifts a threatening hand. 
For we Ve been marching through Georgia. 
Chorus : 

When Right is in the White House, and Wisdom in her seat. 
The reconstructed senators and congressmen to greet, 
Why then we may stop marching, and rest our weary feet. 
For we've been marching through Georgia. 

Chorus : 



322 APPENDIX. 

KILLED AT THE FORD. 

H. W. LONGFELLOW. 

He is dead, the beautiful youth, 

The heart of honor, the tongue of truth. 

He, the light and life of us all, 

Whose voice was blithe as a bugle-call. 

Whom all eyes followed with one consent, 

The cheer of whose laugh, and whose pleasant word 

Hushed all murmurs of discontent. 

Only last night, as we rode along, 

Down the dark of the mountain gap. 

To visit the picket-guard at the ford. 

Little dreaming of any mishap, 

He was humming the words of some old song : 

"Two red roses he had on his cap, 

And another he bore at the point of his sword." 

Sudden and swift, a whistling ball 

Came out of tiie wood, and the voice was still : 

Something I heard in the darkness fall. 

And for a moment my blood grew chill ; 

I spake in a whisper, as he who speaks 

In a room where some one is lying dead : 

But he made no answer to what I said. 

We lifted him up to his saddle again, 

And through the mire and the mist and the rain. 

Carried him back to the silent camp, 

And laid him as if asleep on his bed ; 

And I saw by the light of the surgeon's lamp 

Two white roses upon his cheeks. 

And one, just over his heart, blood-red ! 

And I saw in a vision how far and fleet 

That fatal bullet went speeding forth, 

Till it reached a town in the distant North. 

Till it reached a house in a sunny street, 

Till it reached a heart that ceased to beat 

Without a murmur, without a cry ; 

And a Ijell was tolled in that far-off town. 

For one who had passed from cross to crown. 

And the neighbors wondered that she should die. 



APPENDIX. 323 

TENTING ON THE OLD CAMP GROUND. 

WALTER KITTREDGE. 

We 're tenting to-night on tlie old camp ground, 

Give us a song to cheer 
Our weary hearts, a song of home, 

And friends we love so dear. 

Chorus: Many are the hearts that are weary to-night. 
Wishing for tlie war to cease, 
Many are the hearts looking for the right. 

To see the dawn of peace. 
Tenting to-night, tenting to-night. 
Tenting on the old camp ground. 

We've been tenting to-night on the old camp ground, 

Thinking of days gone by. 
Of the loved ones at home that gave us the hand 

And the tear that said "good-by."' 

Chorus : 

We are tired of war on the old camp ground, 

Many are the dead and gone 
Of the brave and true who've left their homes. 

Others been wounded long. 
Chorus : 

We've been lighting to-day on the old camp ground, 

Many are lying near : 
Some are dead, and some are dying. 

Many are in tears. 

Chorus . Many are the hearts tliat are weary to-night, 

Wishing for the war to cease. 
Many are the hearts looking for the right. 

To see the dawn of peace. 
Dying to-night, dying to-night. 

Tenting on the old camp ground, 

Dying on the old camp ground. 



324 



APPENDIX. 



TRAMP! TRAMP! TRAMP! 



In the prison cell I sit, thinking, mother clear, of you. 

And our bright and happy days so far away. 
And the tears they fill my eyes, spite of all that I can do, 

Though I try to cheer my comrades and be gay. 

Chorus : Tramp, tramp, tramp, the boys are marching, 
Cheer up, comrades, they will come ; 
And beneath the starry flag we shall breathe the air again 
Of tlie freeland in our own beloved home. 

In the battle-front we stood when their fiercest charge they made, 
And they swept us off, a hundred men or more ; 

But before we reached their lines they were beaten back dismayed. 
And we heard the cry of victory o'er and o'er. 

Chorus: Tramp, tramp, tramp, etc. 

So within the prison cell we are waiting for the day 

That shall come to open wide the iron door, 
And the hollow eye grows bright, and the poor heart almost gay. 

As we think of seeing home and friends once more. 

Chorus: Tramp, tramp, tramp, etc. 



KINGDO.M COMING. 

Say, darkeys, hab you seen de massa 

Wid de muflfstas on his face. 
Go long de road some time dis mornin' 

Like he gwine to leab de place? 
He seen a smoke, way up de ribber 

Whar de Linkum gunboats lay ; 
He took his hat an' lef berry sudden. 

An' I spec he's run away! 

Chorus: Ue massa run, ha! ha! 

De darkeys stay, ho ! ho ! 
It mus' be now de kingdom coming, 
An' de year of Jubilo ! 



APPEiYDIX. 

He six foot one way, two foot tudcler, 

An' he weigh tree hundred pound, 
His coat so big he could n't pay de tailor. 

An' it won't go half way round. 
He drill so much dey call him cap'an. 

An' he get so drefful tann'd, 
I spec he try an" fool dem yankees, 

For to tink he's contraband. 

Chorus : 

De oberseer he make us trouble. 

An' he dribe us round a spell ; 
We lock him up in de smoke-house cellar, 

Wid the key trown in de well. 
De whip is lost, de han'cuflf broken. 

But de massa '11 hab his pay ; 
He's ol' enough, big enough, ougi)t to know better 

Dan to went an' run away. 

Chorus. 



325 



V 



